22 Jul 10 | Index Index, minipost
Hugo Chavez’s government has taken control of a 45.8 per cent share of its biggest critic, Globovison. President Chavez has been involved in various actions against the independent press in the past. Since the acquiring the shares Chavez has declared that the Venezuelan government is in a position to nominate a member of the board of directors. The President of Globovision, Guillermo Zuloaga, currently faces arrest in Venezuela and resides in Miami. In response to the news he declared that Globovision will stay critical of the Chavez regime.
26 May 10 | Index Index, minipost
Following the success of his Twitter account, Hugo Chavez has launched his own blog in order to increase his online presence. Chavez announced that he plans to publish transcripts of his speeches and articles, as well as a guest column by Fidel Castro. His Twitter account, which only began a month ago, has already more than 400,000 followers.
30 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost
On 28 March, Wilmer Azuaje was banned by Venezuela’s highest court from speaking to the media about criminal charges alleging he struck a police official. The measure is meant to protect the “reputation, integrity and honour of the victim.” Azuaje, former Deputy of the National Assembly and an outspoken opponent of President Hugo Chavez, was detained on 25 March after prosecutors accused him of insulting a public official and breaking a law that prohibits violence against women. The National Assembly, which is dominated by allies of Chavez, lifted Azuaje’s immunity as a lawmaker from prosecution Friday — a rare step usually reserved for crimes such as corruption. He was later released on 27 March.
17 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost
On 13 March, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez called for new internet regulations and demanded that authorities crack down on a news website he accused of spreading false information. Chávez claimed the Noticiero Digital website had falsely reporting that two of his political allies had been assassinated. Noticiero Digital acknowledged that the forum posts Chávez singled out contained rumors posted by site users but said it had removed them within hours. “The internet cannot be something open where anything is said and done. No, every country has to apply its own rules and norms,” Chavez said during his televised speech. He also cited German Chancellor Angela Merkel as having voiced similar sentiments recently.
