During the first meeting in 2007, scheduled for January 9, the Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council could include as an item in the agenda the allegations by the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs of "flagrant breach" of the Inter-American Democratic Charter by OAS Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza, reported democratic sources.

Last week, Insulza regarded as a kind of censorship the decision announced by President Hugo Chávez on December 28th not to renew a broadcasting license to private TV channel RCTV.

"Taking aside legal issues on such a measure, there is the need to take into account its political impact. Closing a mass medium is an uncommon event in the history of our hemisphere; an unprecedented event over the past few decades under democracy," said Insulza.

Later, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry issued a communiqué rebutting Insulza's remarks and claiming that they "distort the reality as to the legitimacy of the decision not to renew the license to RCTV."