Hugo Chavez has continued his crackdown on free speech with the arrest of one of his leading critics in the media for remarks deemed “offensive” to the wannabe totalitarian leader. Guillermo Zuloaga, owner of Globovision, was arrested for statements he allegedly made while attending an Inter American Press Association meeting on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.
Pro-Chavez lawmaker Manuel Villalba demanded the arrest after Zuloaga spoke out against the crackdown on critics. Villalba immediately called for a crackdown on this critic for saying such a thing.
Reporters from the meeting denounced the arrest and Alejandro Aguirre, president of the Inter American Press Association stated that the arrest shows Chavez’s government is “acting like a totalitarian government, like Cuba.”
Chavez prosecutors claim the right to prosecuted anyone under a law that prohibits Venezuelans from spreading “false information through any medium, . . . that cause public panic.” It appears that denouncing Chavez is a cause for public panic, making them the Latin American version of North Korea’s “Dear One.” Just for the record, it would be El Querido in spanish.
For the full story, click here.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday defended the arrest of a major TV channel owner, calling him a criminal and denying the government is carrying out an assault on press freedom.
The back-to-back arrests this week of two government opponents — including the owner of Venezuela’s only remaining anti-Chavez TV channel — have drawn accusations that Chavez is growing increasingly intolerant and authoritarian as his popular support has slipped.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100327/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_chavez
Without the AEA (AFL-CIO)I would have made a lot less money … I support workers uniting.
Workers of the world unite. HUMMMM where did I hear that one.
Bdaman:
better learn this stuff:
Mike I think Mr Watson maybe referring to Mark LLoyd the FCC Diversity Czar.
Tim Watson, I reread the thread and can’t find any defenders of Mr. Chavez. Most of the people who post here adamantly oppose any restraints anywhere on the freedom to speak one’s mind, including the increasingly common European legislation prohibiting criticism of religious views or icons.
Jeez, why can’t the American Left just oppose all violations of freedom in other countries instead of rationalizing and excusing them when committed by leftist dictators?
Yep, Mike A.’s insight is on target … again.
Pay close attention America – this is what we have to look forward to. Obama will not be satisfied with just having most of the MSM on his side, he intends to control the media completely. Nothing works quite as well as mind control – look what its gotten us so far.
What Mike A said.
Mr. Chavez’ actions follow a familiar pattern. The need to free a country from a system in which economic imperialism flourishes through the enrichment of a power elite at the expense of a poor majority will always attract militant idealists. If those idealists succeed in achieving political authority, they will be opposed at every turn by the elite, who often remain in de facto control of large segments of the economy and of the military. This of course produces frequent military coups. Fear ultimately evolves into paranoia and a perceived need to eliminate oppositional elements. Idealism dies during the ensuing battles and the citizens of the country eventually come to realize that a corrupt economic oligarchy has been replaced by a corrupt military dictatorship. Mr. Chavez is another example of a paranoid leader who will achieve nothing of lasting value for the people he purports to champion.
Roland: what you are pointing out is how bad the left in the America is: Wilson was a fascist and a democrat. FDR, the democrat demi-god who threw Japanese Americans in prison just for being Japanese.
Abe Lincoln was an evil dictator who put newspaper people and others in jail, I’ll give him to the democrats if they want him.
The Dixie Chicks wanted their cake and eat it too. Their fans are unquestionably the most patriotic (if not also the most ignorant) of Americans. If they wanted to protest, they should have found a way to do it and not to bite the hand that fed them.
But they protested in an in-your-face manner and hurt themselves. They could have had their fans eating out of their hands had they done it the right way.
In fact, now that I think about it, it might have gotten us out of the phony “war” sooner.
Lost opportunity.
Eric Clapton loves this Island.
Aruba, not safe for anyone outside apparently inside the Hotel either.
Let’s not forget to add Woodrow Wilson to the list for his actions during WWI. Truth is that while I don’t condone Chavez’s actions, givin our history in that region I certainly understand his paranoia. We also have to remember that while we didn’t arrest the Dixie Chicks for thier comments overseas the country boycotted them and ruined thier career and many, many people wanted them arrested for sedition.
Since Chavez didn’t like “W” and took control of HIS OWN country’s resources he was demonized while we support other, even more brutal and oppressing regimes. He isn’t having anyone stoned to death for adultery, being with a male not her family, etc., etc..
Before we worry about Chavez’s mess we need to cleanup our own backyard.