Media Crackdown?

On the blog Caracas Chronicles Quico (Francisco Toro) points out that this week may be significant in the Chavez government’s potential move from what he has described as an autocratic regime to something that may begin to look more like a dictatorial regime. In the last week, the Chavez government has stepped up prosecutions against prominent members of the opposition, and particularly against opposition media. The government has put increasing pressure on satellite network Globovision, and threatened prosecution of well-respected opposition blogger Teodoro Petkoff, based on an inheritance tax case dug up from the 1970s.

While Telesur hasn’t mentioned Petkoff in its coverage yet, it has aired stories about Globovision and about former General Raul Baduel- who was arrested last week on alleged corruption charges. Baduel had been Chavez’ defense minister, before resigning to join the opposition. Baduel is being charged with theft and embezzlement during his time as defense minister. Finally, another opposition leader who has long been a target of the Chavez government, Maracaibo mayor Manuel Rosales, has gone into hiding after corruption charges were made against him last month.

As Quico points out, if the Chavez government continues what seems to be a coordinated effort to root out the opposition it could mark a significant change. Thus far, while the Chavez government has been critical of what it calls “private media,” it has maintained a certain level of media freedom. Through projects like Telesur in particular, the Chavez government has mostly focused on trying to strengthen state media, rather than cracking down on opposition voices. If the recent prosecutions are any indication, the Chavez government may be planning to tighten control over Venezuelan media and take yet another step toward authoritarian rule.