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.
18 May 10 | Index Index, minipost
On 13 May, opposition figure Oswaldo Alvarez Paz, a critic of President Hugo Chavez, was freed on parole until his trial on charges of spreading false information. Álvarez Paz was arrested on 22 March for claiming the government had links to drug traffickers and criminal gangs. Venezuela bans individuals from making comments that threaten peace and stability.
31 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost
On 25 March, journalist Gustavo Azocar, host of “Café con Azócar,” a news and political commentary of Televisora del Táchira, was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment for illegal profiting in acts of public administration. Judge José Hernán Oliveros found the journalist guilty of fraud in the signing of a 2000 advertising contract between the state lottery and Radio Noticias 106, where he was working at the time. Azocar, an outspoken critic of Chavez’s government, was released from prison, where he had been held since July 2009, and he will be able to serve his sentence on probation.
