Hugo Chavez "Silences" the media 1

Ortega slams Washington for inciting Chavez protest

AP

Caracas, Venezuela: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has accused Washington of fomenting student-led protests against a decision by President Hugo Chavez that forced an opposition-aligned television station off the air.
Flanked by Chavez during a speech that all of Venezuela's TV channels were forced to broadcast, Ortega said his government supported his host's decision not to renew Radio Caracas Television's (RCTV) broadcast licence and warned against "Yankee intervention" in Ven-ezuela's affairs.
("I see youngsters on the news marching and protesting, it's really sad. They've been injected with hate," said Ortega, referring to a series of recent street demonstrations by thousands of students who accuse Chavez of restricting freedom of expression.
"In Nicaragua, the Yankees took control of the people and filled them with hate" during the 1980s amid a civil war pitting US-backed Contra rebels against the Sandinista government, Ortega said.

RCTV, was forced off the air on May 27 after Chavez refused to renew its license, citing the channel's conduct during a failed coup in 2002 and alleged violations of broadcast laws.
RCTV's executives deny any wrongdoing. They accuse Chavez of trying to muzzle his critics.
Groups such as Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders have called the government's move a flagrant effort to silence criticism. The European Parliament and the US Senate both passed resolutions condemning the decision.
(Gulfnews.com Tuesday 05/06)