To all readers. The facts about the anti-cavez coup have been extensively and independently documented, though the results have not been well published. Interesting video evidence can be found on 'Llaguno Bridge, Keys to a Massacre' and the Irish documentary 'The Revolution Will not be Televised'. venezuelanalysis.com is also a decent source of academic research and analysis, that I'm sure we would all benefit from reading. I recommend a thorough exploration of the topic, before passing comment, as the situation in Venezuela remains complicated. Uninformed opinions do more harm than good to all sides of the argument. What we all need is a bit of clarity. Less opinion and more reality. We must educate ourselves far better than this. Unfortunately the majority of coverage of the poltical situation in Venezuela,(which is far from black and white) is based upon opinion as opposed to facts.

Emil, Norwich, Norfolk

I'm alarmed by most of the posts here: so many people in the USA have been swayed by the biased news that normally reaches us. You've really got to look further than that to get the real story. Chavez was democratically elected. RCTV was complicit in a failed coup to overthrow
him. That is a matter of fact. Chavez is no demon but the casual reader/newswatcher won't understand that if Times, Post et al. is all they read. Where in the world is JF of Seattle getting information? It's completely contrary to what actually happened. Talk to someone who lives in Venezuela and whose livelihood isn't made on the backs of the poor.

Janice, Albany, NY

To the last respondent: The opposition has been there since 2000, two years after Chavez first came to power. I have been there many times and seen them. To Mr. Murphy, the television station did not "support a coup" against Chavez. They had nothing to do with it. What brought Chavez down was a popular insurrection. He ordered his military to attack unarmed civilians, they refused, they asked him to resign. He accepted their request. Then a coup took place, unfortunately, the opposition was co-opted by some very greedy business interests.

Jonathan Freedman, Seattle, WA

Reminds me of the libs that are currently trying to pass a bill that would shut down talk radio.

Ben, San Diego, CA

Hugo Chavez just needed a channel to show reruns of Lethal Weapon movies to throw Danny Glover a bone. And he can show Predator 2 perhaps, since so few people ever paid to see it, it's a perfect candiate for the Socialist Move Channel. That Danny Glover really represents America well by sucking up to Comrade Hugo, I'm sure Danny has an impressive academic background as well that helps him be such an ambassador and scholar of world politics. Keep up the good work Danny!

Sean, Libville, CA

His actions don't surprise me. What can you expect from someone who drinks 20 cups of coffee per day and never sleeps. This man is Fidel Castro on steroids.

Steve K, East Rockaway, USA/NY

What is BigBClass talking about?

Dan, lebanon, USA

it seems like the dems in congress are following in lock step with their freind chavez with their own introduction of the fairness doctrine.

tom calgaro, boise, idaho

David from Mississippi hit the nail on the head. Its already happening in Miami for years the state had to take over the comptrollers office because of all the corruption. I work with cuban doctors who only want cash under the table so they don't have to pay taxes!! THIS IS DOCTORS!!! If you think we have corruption in our goverment you have not seen anything yet.

Jim, Boca Raton, FLorida

Hey!
You get what you vote for.
That is/was your democratic vote.

If you did not vote - make sure you DO, next time.

mel, aptos,

Where's the Left of this country protesting against Chavez police firing real bullets against the people and the press? Too bad they didn't get shutdown here.

Leo, Tampa, Fl

Chavez is well on his way to a prewar Germany styled Venezuela. Eliminate the media, and you're in total control. He will now start to remove important liberties unchecked. To follow will come unexplained dissapperences of political rivals, and finally total control by intimidation. The last efforts will be to completely dominate all of the smaller South American countries and to set himself up as the God he thinks he is.

larry v, rapid city, us

Obviously, Dear Leader Hugo has numerous supporters among the nouveau Left in the UK. Just read the scandalous letter in the Guardian last week defending the closure of that TV station, signed by all the usual suspects including Tony Benn. Once bitten by the Stalinist bug, you never recover. The same people would presumably close down the BBC because it dares on occasion to challenge the Government and ask for the PM to go.

Hugo, of course, is in the process of taking over the mantle of the revolution from Fidel. But what the dimwits fail to see is that he will end up as the Venezualan version of Juan Peron, and lead his country to ruins.

Ed Zuiderwijk, Cambridge, UK

Now they protest when Chavez takes their television. Where were these people two years ago when he came into power?!

MD, Indianapolis, IN

Chavez want's all the power. It is this simple. He will rule the Orks.
Here is one of his quotes.
“Those of you who want to know what type of socialism I have planned for Venezuela should read Marx and Lenin.”

Yet the president of Iran, who believes in Allah, befriends Chavez.
Is Iran to become Communist and ban the worship of Allah?
It could happen. Birds of a feather flock together.

Tim Lake, Lincoln,

The Mexicans will sweep their own Hugo Chavez into office, all hispanics know is Populist Socialism. They're destroying our Western society and turning it into a corrupt, 3rd world country, with no respect for laws and gangs on every corner.

David Lanham, Jackson, USA Mississippi

Isn't it amazing. Those who criticise democratic countries most are the 1st to stiffle freedoms in their own countries.

Jo, Birmingham, UK

This station supported a coup attempt against Chavez. Their contract has come to an end. They have nothing to complain about .

John Murphy, Lauris, France

This is just a preview of what is coming to American if we grant Amnesty! Mexico's dictator like leader ship with the cooperation of Bush has made sure that an unknown number of Mexican citizens who have no idea of what democracy means, here to take our land and freddoms away. Just look at Franch now!!!!

I feel that we are connected to the latino people and feel the same about protecting our freedoms but these poor unjdercalss of Mexico have not got any idea they are just a pon of the Mexican Government and Big business of sthe New World Order.

Vicki, Post Falls, Idaho

Oh boo hoo! The people of Venezuela probably still have far more freedoms than we do here in the US. Now all we need is somebody to do something about FOX news.

BigBClass, Chicago,

You can blame Jimmy Carter for his meddling into Venezuela's affairs which got Chavez elected. It is too late now that Chavez has become entrenched in Venezuela's politics. It is surprising that the Bush administration has looked the other way while many of the Latin America countries are leaning toward Socialism/Communism type governments. It will not be long before missile silos will be built in Venezuela with the help from the Russians, then what??

Joe Cool, San Antonio, Texas

Carl, Hemet, California: "RCTVs license was not taken away it was just not renewed at the end of their contract. RCTV is still able to broadcast via cable and internet. RCTV is not the only channel in Venezuela to offer opposing views about the Chavez presidency."

A) It's license was taken away illegally, soon after the elections Chavez publicly ordered the cease of broadcasting of RCTV, this license expiration excuse was an illegal maneuver used to this purpose. This is simple revenge.

B) There were only 2 stations (Globovision and RCTV) who dared to openly critizice the government, beyond the events of 2002, even people in the Chavism came to RCTV to speak their mind and talk about their injustices. Now, only one channel is left, and Globovision has been fined so many times that is hardly operational nowadays to that purpose.

And remember, the events of April 2002 were not a coup, so said the Supreme Court back in 2003 here in Caracas.

Luis Mijares, Caracas, Venezuela

Well, given this example of alleged coup plotting in South America, I can imagine that US television management became cowardly after threats that they would be facing similar consequences for telling the truth.

I get by just fine without ANY television, but neither "free market" manipulaors, like Bush, nor communists like Chavez absolve me of my responsibilty to be an informed citizen in a democracy.

The Universities are the worst culprits, as they now villainize anyone who is not apolitical. In the 60's we were both allowed and encouraged to speak the truth in the classroom. Our former classmates were dying in Viet Nam. Today the "troops" are just tin soldiers in a rich man's game.

Kenneth Bobco, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Hemet, you got it right. ABC, NBC and CBS ARE active in a coup plot to oust the president of this country. It's just slightly more subtle here.

Eric Johnson, Terrell, TX

To Carl in Hemet. In The USA and In England there still is a process. I could think of many things on the air that have happened in the last year alone here in the USA that if done under the political clout of Emporer Chavez those stations and networks would have been decomissioned also. To compare the situation of solid democracies like the USA and England to Venezuela is utterly rediculous! Go live in Caracas Carl, see is you like and you support the total concept of what is going on there and in many South American countries. These are little men again trying to gain great power at name of the poor. We all know what a success the process in Cuba has been! I wish the people of Venzuela good luck. There right to chose anything is beginning to erode. Soon only one MAN (Chavez) just like Castro will control everything with no will of the people.

Gary De Maroney, Yucca Valley, California USA

Yes... all the world is condemning Whooooooogo about killling the opposition TV station. Now let's see if you condemn Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid when they go after Conservative Radio hosts in the USA in a few weeks. It isnlt enought that they own the US and world MainStream media. They want to kill conservative programs witha revival of "The Faaaaiiiiiiiirness Doctrine " so they can tell lies and get away with it all again...

Fred, Houston, Texas USA

Mabey the People of Venezuela will finally wake up and see Chavez will lead them no where they want to go. He will take what freedom they have!

W.C. McCombs, Cocoa, Florida

Thanks to Times Online for that very slanted piece of anti-Chavez reporting. On it's face, it may appear disturbing that Chavez is shutting down an opposition TV station - but I do not doubt for one moment his accusation that the station is guilty of coup-plotting.
If you want to know how media really operates down in Venezuala see the documentary film "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." The private stations - including RCTV - worked hand-in-hand with the coup plotters during the botched 2002 coup attempt to oust Chavez from power. In Venezuala the private media is the propaganda arm of the wealthy elite - much like it is here in the U.S. But down there, they are even more shamelessly slanted in their reporting. I will bet money that Chavez' new state-run station will provide a platform for anti-government viewpoints - as opposed to the private station's practice of monopolizing the airwaves with anti-Chavez propaganda.

Bill Underwood, Los Angeles, CA

When Britain decided not to renew the license of Thames broadcasting in the 90's did we hear about a return to monarchy? RCTVs license was not taken away it was just not renewed at the end of their contract. RCTV is still able to broadcast via cable and internet. RCTV is not the only channel in Venezuela to offer opposing views about the Chavez presidency. It is the only channel that did actively promote the short coup that tried to oust Chavez illegally from his post. Think about it if ABC, NBC, or CBS were active in a coup plot to oust a president in this country do you think we would let the station end its contract to broadcast?

Carl, Hemet, California

This article is good propaganda. Other than the phrase "coup plotting" which was placed in quotations, as if to suggest there's no validity to it, the article makes no mention of the 2002 coup to overthrow the government of Venezuela, which was successful for about 2 days. RCTV was complicit in this coup. Ask ourselves: what if a TV station here was complicit in a coup to overthrow the government? The executives would probably be accused of giving aid and comfort to the enemy, tried, and sentenced to death. In Venezuela, the TV station was just shut down - after 5 post-coup years of remaining on air.

When people took to the streets to protest the station closing, it's described as some kind of joyous street party. But when Chavez supporters take to the streets, things "turn ugly". People who pay attention to Venezuela are smart enough to see through this nonsense.

Michael McAllister, London,

chavez is a loser who is distroying that region that was once very good for business and pleasuresome. To bad all those with money are leaving making the country lack good educated people. He is a criminal and thief, someone needs to stop him. USA needs to do a Panama(noriga style) on his head.

he is stealing from everyone and pretending to be there friend.... YOUR ONE BIG SCAM CHAVEZ(maricon)

to bad for the people of that country....

Francisco, NY,NY, USA