Venezuelan troops take over TV station that opposes Hugo Chavez

[Tomisimo]

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan troops have seized an anti-government television channel's broadcast equipment, the station said on Sunday, ahead of a controversial midnight EDT/0400 GMT takeover by President Hugo Chavez that will take the broadcaster off the air.

Chavez sparked international criticism with his decision to not renew RCTV's license and to replace Venezuela's most-watched channel with a state-backed network that will promote the values of his self-styled socialist revolution.

RCTV representatives said troops had taken over relay stations across the country amid a show of military force meant to deter possible violence by opposition demonstrators.

http://www.reuters.com/article/wtMos...23008820070527

I sure hope it doesn't turn into a dictatorship.

[celador]

They always start out thinking first get the power, and then make the changes to make everything better.

But the problem is that power corrupts. So it never ends well when they take it by force or deception.

[Tomisimo]

That's right. A *perfect* dictator, who did *everything* perfect and in *everyone's* best interest would be a great thing, but is 100% impossible, given human nature.

[Jaqui]

Too bad, it sounds like the poor venezuelan people are heartbroken over this.

[celador]

the other side of the story:

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/01/1607/

[Tomisimo]

I guess it all comes down to who we choose to believe. The article on commondreams.org says (as one of it's points):

3. The vast majority of Venezuela’s media are not only in private hands, they are constitutionally protected, uncensored, and dominated by the opposition. RCTV’s owners can expand their cable and satellite programming, or take their capital and launch a print empire forthwith. Aggressive unqualified political dissent is alive and well in the Venezuelan mainstream media, in a manner few other democratic nations have ever known, including our own.

Then in a comment, someone supposedly from Venezuela says:

MORE FACTS AND LESS FICTION RIGHT FROM VENEZUELA

I’m a Venezuelan citizen writing from Caracas and I have to say that your facts are, at the least, incomplete. I’ll try to be brief and add a couple of additional facts without disputing yours so more informed conclusions can be reached.

1. In Venezuela there are 11 national TV stations: 5 directly owned and operated by the government, 2 privately owned by government officials, 1 exclusively sports channel and 3 general content TV stations out of which only one is openly critical to the government. So, in order to say 80% of media is privately owned you must include every small radio station in the tiniest of the cities. Therefor, you might be statistically correct but practically wrong.

So I really don't know what to think.

[celador]

Who's Pulling the Strings?
Behind Venezuela's "Student Rebellion"

http://www.counterpunch.org/maher06092007.html

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by celador

Who's Pulling the Strings?
Behind Venezuela's "Student Rebellion"

http://www.counterpunch.org/maher06092007.html

Wow that's crazy. Now I don't know which side to get behind

[Jaqui]

Hey celador, good job for finding the other side of the story!