Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez derided students who have protested his decision to force an opposition TV station off the air as US "pawns," ridiculing them for walking out of a congressional debate on freedom of expression.
University students -- who have led more than a week of street protests condemning his decision not to renew the broadcast license of Radio Caracas Television, (RCTV) -- walked out of a National Assembly debate on Thursday saying they did not want to become part of a political spectacle.
"I had information that those youths were going to put on a show in the National Assembly," Chavez said. "They're nothing but pawns of the empire."
PHOTO: EPA
Chavez's comments came during a speech to pro-government students that all Venezuelan television channels broadcast by government order -- a frequent practice by Chavez known as a "cadena" or national network.
As the cadena interrupted regular programming, residents in some parts of the capital banged on pots and pans from their windows in protest. Such protests have occurred several times since RCTV was taken off air on May 27.
Chavez defends the move to not renew RCTV's license as a means of democratizing the airwaves by turning over the signal to a state-funded public broadcasting station. Critics argue the president is trying to muzzle his opponents.
About a dozen students opposed to the move went to congress to participate in what was supposed to be an open debate but quickly turned into a hostile confrontation.
"We didn't come here to play around," said Yon Goicochea, a student leader from the Andres Bello Catholic University, who walked out of congress with his companions.
Pro-Chavez students, joined by National Assembly President Cilia Flores, railed against those who walked out, accusing them of staging demonstrations as part of a plan by radical government opponents to oust Chavez.
"Behind them are the same old politicians, the fascists of the far-right, those who have tried to destabilize Venezuela's democracy," Flores said.
Following the walkout, rows of police and National Guard troops in riot gear were forced to hold back an angry pro-Chavez mob that threw objects at police trucks driving the students away.
During a brief 2002 coup, RCTV and other private channels broadcast opposition calls for protests to overthrow Chavez while giving little coverage to his return to power amid protests by his supporters. Chavez accuses the channel of seeking his ouster and violating broadcast laws. RCTV denies wrongdoing.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
Polish presidential candidates offered different visions of Poland and its relations with Ukraine in a televised debate ahead of next week’s run-off, which remains on a knife-edge. During a head-to-head debate lasting two hours, centrist Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s governing pro-European coalition, faced the Eurosceptic historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party (PiS). The two candidates, who qualified for the second round after coming in the top two places in the first vote on Sunday last week, clashed over Poland’s relations with Ukraine, EU policy and the track records of their