University students demonstrate on behalf of RCTV

EL UNIVERSAL Caracas

Students at the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB) and the Simón Bolívar University (USB) early on Friday staged demonstrations showing support for private television station RCTV, the broadcast license of which expires next May 27 and will not be renewed by President Hugo Chávez' government.

At UCAB, students blocked a major avenue near campus, while at USB, the demonstrators staged their protest in campus and surrounding areas without blocking roads or avenues.

Freddy Guevara, a journalism student at UCAB told local news TV station Globovisión they are advocating "two fundamental principles, namely, freedom of expression as a right of all Venezuelans and human beings, and the autonomy of universities, following President Hugo Chávez' remarks late Thursday."

Chávez late Thursday announced a comprehensive transformation of universities nationwide.

Students of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) took Friday the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas to refuse the government decision not to renew a concession to use the radio spectrum for private TV channel Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV).

Students started the protest inside the campus and then came out to express their disagreement with the action. They marched holding placards, chanted slogans, blew whistles and sounded horns. They also delivered fliers to the drivers on transit nearby.

The protest caught the attention of multiple pedestrians. They stopped by to watch the demonstration and even some of them exchanged words with the students.

Countryside
University students in several towns in Venezuela demonstrated to reject President Hugo Chávez' refusal to renew the broadcast license for private television station RCTV, which expires next May 27 at midnight.

Hundreds of people staged demonstrations in southwestern Táchira and Mérida states, central Aragua state, southwestern Barinas state, and southeastern Bolívar state.