Thousands protest in the streets of Caracas Venezuela after Chavez shuts down the country’s most-watched TV station

Mick Gregory
Presidente Hugo “Boss” Chavez’s decision not to renew the broadcast license of the country’s most-watched TV station, an outlet for the only opposition in the country caused thousands of protestors to pour into the streets of Caracas today.

Police lined a Caracas avenue while the protesters paraded past, some holding signs reading “No to silence,” while others placed tape over their mouths.

Radio Caracas Television, the sole opposition-aligned TV station with nationwide reach, is due to go off the air at midnight Sunday. Protesters say that by not renewing RCTV’s license, Chavez is attempting to silence critics of his leftist government.

“Our president wants to control everything, even what we watch on television, so his voice is the only voice on the airwaves,” said Roger Montoya, a 23-year-old university student at Saturday’s march. “It’s totalitarianism.”">

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets Saturday chanting “Freedom, Freedom!” to protest President Hugo Chavez’s decision not to renew the broadcast license of the country’s most-watched TV station, an outlet for the opposition.

Police lined a Caracas avenue while the protesters paraded past, some holding signs reading “No to silence,” while others placed tape over their mouths.

Radio Caracas Television, the sole opposition-aligned TV station with nationwide reach, is due to go off the air at midnight Sunday. Protesters say that by not renewing RCTV’s license, Chavez is attempting to silence critics of his leftist government.

“Our president wants to control everything, even what we watch on television, so his voice is the only voice on the airwaves,” said Roger Montoya, a 23-year-old university student at Saturday’s march. “It’s totalitarianism.”

Meanwhile, attorneys for Citgo were back in the USA after weeks of talks of offers to sell off Citgo assets. They got back just in to join Citgo marketing executives in box seats for the Indy 500. To watch Milka Duno races the Citgo cart to 30th place.

That’s how socialism works. The rich political socialsitst get richer, the middle class get stripped and the poor, uneducated masses chant “Viva Hugo Chavez.”