A SLUGGISH economy, inflation, strikes and rampant crime: much of the recent news in Venezuela has been bad for the socialist government of President Hugo Chávez. Its response has been to intensify its harassment of the media. On August 1st, 34 radio stations were taken off the air for allegedly failing to submit the proper paperwork to the broadcasting regulator. In all, more than half the country’s 656 privately owned radio stations face fines and possible closure on this ground. Their owners say they have tried for years to update their paperwork, with no response from the authorities.
In addition, Diosdado Cabello, the minister in charge of broadcasting, announced plans to restrict radio stations from sharing programming so that local broadcasters would no longer be able to relay national news programmes, for example.
Obviously as Chavez becomes more corrupt and the state collapses repression becomes the order of the day:
The government’s concerted crackdown on critical media comes as Mr Chávez is pressing ahead with other measures that seem designed to make his “socialist revolution” irreversible. The president’s popularity rating has fallen to 52% (from 61% in February), according to Datanálisis, a polling company. He faces a parliamentary election next year at which his legislative majority is at risk. This month the government amended the electoral law to award a hugely disproportionate share of seats to the largest party, even though the constitution (drawn up under Mr Chávez) guarantees proportional representation. That will penalise the splintered opposition if it fails to unite. The new law also gives the electoral authority (controlled by the government) the power to gerrymander constituency boundaries. And, after this week, the opposition will find it even harder to get its message across.
But at least his supporters have their priorities straight.
Going after GloboVision, just like the White House is going after Fox News, as the only outlet that says the truth.
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