We recognise that the non-renewal of the broadcasting licence for RCTV is a legitimate and democratic decision of the Venezuelan government. The reason for this action is not that RCTV is against the government of Hugo Chavez, but rather that this TV channel participated directly in the organisation of the military coup against the democratically elected government. We welcome the decision to set up a new public access TV station “TVes”. The problem of the media in Venezuela is not that the government is curtailing freedom of expression but rather the need to democratise access to the media, which is dominated by a handful of monopoly groups that use their position to sabotage the expressed will of the majority of the Venezuelan people.

La libertad de expresión en Venezuela y la no renovación de la licencia a RCTV – Manos Fuera de Venezuela!

Reconocemos que la no renovación de la licencia de emisión a RCTV es una decisión legítima y democrática del gobierno venezolano. La razón de esta acción no es la oposición de RCTV al gobierno del presidente Hugo Chávez sino que este canal de TV participó directamente en la organización del golpe militar contra el gobierno democráticamente electo. Saludamos particularmente la decisión de crear una nueva televisora de acceso público Tves. El problema de los medios en Venezuela no es que el gobierno esté recortando la libertad de expresión sino la necesidad de democratizar el acceso a los medios de comunicación que están controlado por un puñado de grandes monopolios que utilizan su posición para sabotear la voluntad de la mayoría del pueblo venezolano.

• Manzoor Ahmed (Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, president of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign, president of Hands Off Venezuela Pakistan)
• John McDonnell (Member of Parliament, Britain, President Hands Off Venezuela, Britain, Labour Representation Committee Chair)
• Alan Woods (founder of the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign and editor of “In Defence of Marxism)
• Fernando Buen Abad Domínguez (Media Philosopher and member of Telesur’s Advisory Council).
• Claudio Belloti (National Executive Committee, Party of Communist Refoundation, Italy)
• Juanjo López (General Secretary, Spanish Students Union “Sindicato de Estudiantes”)
• Juan Ignacio Ramos (president, F Engels Foundation, Spain)
• David Rey (National Coordinator HOV, Argentina)
• Emanuel Tomaselli (National Coordinator, Hands Off Venezuela, Austria)
• Erik Demeester (Hands Off Venezuela coordinator, Belgium)
• Campaña “Tirem as Maos da Venezuela” Brazil
• Jorge Martin (International Secretary, Hands Off Venezuela, Britain)
• Alex Grant (coordinator, Hands Off Venezuela, Canada)
• Patrick Larsen (National Organiser, Hands Off Venezuela, Denmark)
• Jerome Metellus (National Coordinator, Hands Off Venezuela, France)
• Hans-Gerd Offinger (Hands Off Venzuela coordinator, Germany, chairman of the Media Workers Section of ver.di union in Wiesbaden District)
• Stamatis Karayannopoulos National coordinator of “Hands off Venezuela!”, Greece
• Roberto Sarti (Hands Off Venezuela organiser, Italy)
• Campaña Manos Fuera de Venezuela, México
• Campaña Manos Fuera de Venezuela, Perú
• Rui Faustino (Hands Off Venezuela, Portugal)
• Jordi Rosich (National Coordinator, Hands Off Venezuela, Spain)
• Egil Karlow (Hands Off Venezuela coordinator, Sweden)
• John Peterson, Cort Greene (Hands Off Venezuela campaign, USA)

Add your signature to this appeal by writing to HOV

For more on RCTV’s case, watch the “Is the venezuelan TV channel RCTV being closed? ” documentary or donwload the Venezuela Information Office Fact-Sheet on RCTV