VENEZUELA: Student demonstrators clash with Chavez supporters

Record ID: 777954

  • Title: VENEZUELA: Student demonstrators clash with Chavez supporters
  • Date: 26th January 2010
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JANUARY 25, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS DEMONSTRATING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEADER OF VENEZUELAN STUDENT MOVEMENT, JULIO RIVAS, SAYING: "Throughout the country there are students and young people taking to the main streets demanding the government respect our freedom of expression and our basic services." DEMONSTRATORS IN SUPPORT OF VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ SHOUTING AT THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATORS VARIOUS OF CHAVEZ SUPPORTERS SHOUTING SLOGANS STUDENT PROTESTERS SHOUTING SLOGANS STUDENT PROTESTERS AND CHAVEZ SUPPORTERS FACING OFF POLICE PREPARING TO INTERVENE WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS CHAVEZ SUPPORTERS THROWING ROCKS AND BOTTLES AT THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATORS WHO OPPOSE CHAVEZ VARIOUS OF STUDENT DEMONSTRATORS IN OPPOSITION TO CHAVEZ TRYING TO ESCAPE TEAR GAS FIRED BY POLICE STUDENT DEMONSTRATORS CARRYING SOMEONE SUFFERING FROM THE TEAR GAS POLICE HELICOPTER FLYING OVER THE DEMONSTRATORS STUDENT PROTESTER WITH A CUT ON HIS FACE SHOUTING SLOGANS
  • Embargoed: 10th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAM3FUX1F8S7L8FOCBCSL5T4LE
  • Story Text: Thousands of students took to the streets of downtown Caracas Monday (January 25) after the government ordered cable networks to stop showing a station critical of President Hugo Chavez over the weekend.
    Cable networks halted the airing of RCTV Internacional, which is often opposed to Chavez, and several other stations on Sunday saying the stations had not complied with regulations that include showing Chavez's notoriously long-winded speeches.
    Opposition leaders say Chavez is seeking to control private media to block the coverage of growing discontent throughout much of the country over water and electricity shortages and the leader of the Venezuelan Student Movement says rights were being trampled on by the socialist government.
    "Throughout the country there are students and young people taking to the main streets demanding the government respect our freedom of expression and our basic services," said Venezuelan Student Movement leader Julio Rivas.
    But opposition groups were not the only ones in the streets as government sympathizers came out to stand up for Chavez .
    The government supporters faced off with the opposition groups shouting pro-government slogans and launching rocks and bottles at the convergence of students.
    Police finally intervened firing teargas into the crowds sending the student demonstrators fleeing.
    RCTV had been pushed off free-access television by Chavez in 2007 and revamped itself as RCTV Internacional based in Miami, Florida to avoid content restrictions.
    But the government determined the station was still subject to broadcast restrictions because most of its content was produced in Venezuela.
    Chavez faces growing criticism over shortages of power and water and a sharp currency devaluation this month that could accelerate the country's soaring inflation.
    He has boosted pro-government broadcasting in recent years by creating several state-funded television networks including the Telesur channel, meant to be a Latin American leftist counterpart to CNN.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register