The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) is afraid that non-renewal of a broadcast license for private TV channel Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) will have a domino effect in Ecuador and other countries in the hemisphere under the influence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

"We are worried, as this can be replicated in Ecuador and become a domino effect in the countries much influenced by President Hugo Chávez," Gonzalo Marroquín, Chairman of  the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, told Radio Quito.

"We are bearing witness to one more step towards authoritarianism, where there are no media. This prevents people from learning about what is going on. For the Latin American democracy, but particularly for Venezuela, ongoing events are very pitiful," he added.