Chavez censors cable TV channel

A cable television channel critical of President Hugo Chavez was taken off the air for defying new Venezuelan government rules requiring it to televise some of the left-wing leader’s speeches.

Cable and satellite TV providers stopped transmitting Radio Caracas Television Internacional, an anti-Chavez channel known as RCTV, after it did not show the president’s speech on Saturday to a rally of supporters.

RCTV was already forced to switch to cable in 2007 after the government refused to renew its licence for regular airwaves.

Mr Chavez accused the station then of plotting against him and supporting a failed 2002 coup.