New press law will silence critics
The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, has signed a new press law that critics have slammed as a measure to silence critics of the leftist government.
The new law, reports The New York Times, will allow the government to censor news reports. The law, vaguely worded and open to wide interpretation, prohibits scenes of violence and sex during daylight hours, which government officials say is necessary to shield children from harmful broadcast programming. But that provision, critics say, would allow the government to ban news reports of violent protests or government crackdowns. The law, which outlines 78 possible infractions, also stipulates that the news media cannot put out reports that endanger national security or incite disruption of public order. Full report in The New York Times