Chavez poised to close oppositon TV station (again)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is threatening to revoke the license of a television station known for its opposition to the President and current government.

Now, in my posts before, I've made it clear I don't think Chavez is the megalomaniac dictator that he is purported to be in a lot of Western media. However, that does not excuse the actions he's taken in the past in censoring opposition, and the actions he seems poised to undertake again in the closing of this current station.

Actions like these only continue to strengthen the arguments of anti-Chavez voices who wish to paint him as a total dictator. This, combined with his efforts to remove term limits, certainly lend credence to that idea. Silencing opposition and paving the way for life-long rule are certainly two actions that we can't ignore and simply take lightly.

If Chavez wants Venezuela to be seen as a free democracy like the one he claims it is, these actions need to come to a screeching halt.