Thousands of Venezuelans Protest Chavez

Opposition members protest against Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez's decision to take an opposition-aligned TV station Radio Caracas Televison, RCTV, off the air in Caracas, Sunday, June 3, 2007. RCTV went off the air last May 28. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) (Fernando Llano - AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Thousands of government opponents waving Venezuelan flags marched through the capital on Sunday to protest a decision by President Hugo Chavez to pull the plug on an opposition-aligned TV station.

Demonstrators made their way to the offices of the People's Defender, a government official in charge of monitoring human rights, and presented a document saying that Chavez is restricting freedom of expression by not renewing Radio Caracas Television's broadcast license.

"We are marching for a free country," said preschool teacher Cecilia de Becerra, as hundreds of police in riot gear stood outside the government building. "We have faith that things can change."

Hundreds of other protesters gathered outside the studios of Venevision to condemn the privately owned television channel for recently curbing its criticism of the government.

Radio Caracas Television, or RCTV, was forced off the air May 27 after Chavez refused to renew its license, citing the channel's conduct during a failed coup in 2002 and alleged violations of broadcast laws.

RCTV's executives deny any wrongdoing. They accuse Chavez, who threatened on Saturday to yank the broadcast licenses of other private media outlets he accuses of sowing unrest, of trying to muzzle his most outspoken critics.

In Panama, Venezuela's ambassador to the Organization of American States, Jorge Valero, defended the government's decision not to renew RCTV's license, saying the station had "infringed" on democratic principles.

Venezuela "is at the forefront of the defense of freedom of expression," Valero told diplomats and human rights organizations in Pamana, where the OAS is holding a general assembly meeting.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to address freedom of expression issues in the region when she attends the meeting on Monday, the State Department said.

Although many of Venezuela's media outlets are still privately owned and critical of Chavez, the RCTV case has raised concerns because it was the only opposition-sided TV station with nationwide reach.