Over the weekend the Venezuelan government under the autocratic rule of President Hugo Chavez shut down the one remaining independent broadcast outlet - the opposition television station Radio Caracas Television (RCTV). Twenty minutes after the station went off the air, its frequency was taken over by the official government network.

This is the culmination of a year of press oppression in Venezuela, including fining opposition newspapers for criticism of the government, arresting journalists on charges of 'defamation' for criticizing the government, the shutdown of opposition radio stations, beatings and harassment of journalists and photographers, and most recently, the assassination of an El Mundo photojournalist. Since Chavez was voted sole personal authority over the government and had the Venezuelan constitution rewritten to give the presidency additional powers, it has become increasingly difficult for those opposing him to speak out without placing themselves at considerable risk...