Caracas police, students clash over TV station closures

Venezuelan police yesterday used truncheons and tear gas to disperse scores of students protesting a government shutdown of six television stations, including one opposed to President Hugo Chavez's government.

The students, who had blocked access to roads near the university, vowed not to be dissuaded from taking to the streets to express their displeasure over the new rules.

"We won't be deterred, regardless of what the government does," said Roderick Navarro, student leader from the Central University of Venezuela, one day after the closure of the stations. The government ordered the closure of the television stations on Sunday for refusing to broadcast Mr Chavez's speeches, as required under a law passed in December.

Under the new measure, every television or radio station whose programming is at least 30 per cent Venezuelan-made is considered a "national" media outlet.

The measure requires, among other mandates, that national media outlets air speeches by Mr Chavez and other top officials, as well as government announcements. But Mr Chavez's critics view many of those speeches, which can last for hours, as government propaganda.

In addition to the opposition station RCTV, the dropped channels include Ritmo Son, Momentum, America TV, American Network and TV Chile.

Journalism and human rights groups have expressed concern over the muzzling of press freedoms and have called for peaceful protests against the law.

Officials in Caracas said the government would be willing to reverse the shutdown of RCTV if it reverses its opposition to the law and totally revamps its programming over the next few months.

The blackout rankled Venezuelans who missed Sunday's much-anticipated final game of a local baseball championship.