President Hugo Chavez Calls for Internet Regulation

The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, called on all nations Saturday to regulate the internet. He has also demanded that authorities crack down on Noticiero Digital on the charge of spreading false information.

The main reason for singling out the political opinion and gossip website is that, according to Chavez, it published false information that some of his allies had been killed. As a result, Chavez called in Venezuela’s attorney general to take action. Noticiero has not had any immediate reaction to any of this.

"The Internet cannot be something open where anything is said and done. Every country has to apply its own rules and norms," Chavez said.

This is not Chavez’s first conflict with the media. Radio Caracas Television, an anti-Chavez channel, was forced in 2007 to move to cable when the president refused the renewal of their license. Later in January, it was no longer on cable or satellite because it refused to televise some of Chavez’s speeches, which apparently is regulation.

Globovision, the last anti-Chavez channel left on the air-waves, is under multiple investigations for supposedly violating regulations. RCTV, another channel, is cable-only now and is fighting to stay alive. Dozens of radio stations have also been closed due to “administrative breaches.”