Hugo Chavez revokes license of popular Caracas TV station; response is protests and violence

The Socialist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez decided to silence his political opposition by revoking the broadcast license of Radio Caracas TV, which has been critical of his totalitarian policies. More from Tammy Bruce:

Caracas TV station employees, after being forced off the air.

Has Chavez Finally Gone Too Far?

Let's hope so. The Venezuelan people deserve better. But really, what did they expect--that he would be the one tyrannical Marxist on Earth to leave television alone? Mass communication is the biggest threat to fascists. Why do you think Hillary and the American left are obsessed with shutting down talk radio and "regulating" the internet? Why do you think the Democrat party want to demonize Fox News? Because they know information and a free discussion is the antidote to...them.

[...]

Chavez, like every other depraved leftist in history, simply bought his way into power with money and entitlements for the poor. And as always, the people are shocked, just shocked, to find out that the man who had no ideas but lots of goodies to give away, suddenly wants something in return--their freedom and the future.

Now they understand the convenient Marxism they embraced comes with a price. Let's hope the Venezuelans understand they can refuse to pay and reverse their mistake. [...]

(bold emphasis mine) See Tammy's post for links and more.




Neal Boortz also comments on the Caracas TV station closure:

HUGO CHAVEZ AND THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

Jealousy is an ugly thing. And jealousy is especially ugly when you have freely elected leaders from a country that prides itself on a dedication to freedom and individual liberty being openly jealous of a dictator.

Such is the case with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

Hugo the Horrible has now accomplished in Venezuela what Democrats only wish they could accomplish here at home. He has silenced a broadcast outlet that was critical of his regime. Sunday night Venezuela's most popular television station went off the air. Why? Because Chavez decided that their broadcast license would not be renewed. Radio Caracas Television was the only TV station in Venezuela that was broadcast nationwide ... and Radio Caracas Television was critical of Hugo Chavez.

Are you starting to get the picture here?

Chavez says he is "democratizing" the public's airways. He also said that this TV station was a threat to his country. Wow! Now doesn't that sound very much like the things that the left is saying about talk radio in the U.S.?

What Chavez accomplished by edict the left in this country hopes to accomplish through legislation and regulation. [...]

(bold emphasis mine) The methods may be different, but the goals are the same. And so it goes. What do you suppose comes next? For Venezuela and for us?