President Hugo Chávez "is a tyrant who intends to turn Venezuela into Cuba," said Zulia Governor and ex single opposition candidate Manuel Rosales in an interview released Thursday by Brazilian daily O Globo.

The Venezuelan political dissent will create "a democratic resistance" to prevent  Chávez' government from undermining freedom of expression with decisions such as the non-renewal of a broadcasting license to private TV channel Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), the leader said, as quoted by Efe.

"President Chávez has showed who he is -a despot intending to turn Venezuela into Cuba. Chávez wants to build an autocracy, a militarist government with a democratic façade," he lamented.

Rosales criticized also the government plans to nationalize telecommunications company Cantv. In his view, this move will give the ruler the control over Internet and data transmission services, particularly in election times.