In less than 24 hours, the National Electoral Council (CNE) once again was accused of censoring news media in Venezuela.

Following claims by civil organization Ciudadanía Activa, Monday the director of local television news channel Globovisión Alberto Federico Ravell questioned the allegations the CNE based upon to order TV channels to change their programming.

Globovisión accused CNE of censoring the news media after the top electoral body ordered taking off the air 12 short videos prepared by NGO Ciudadanía Activa intended to raise awareness about the intended changes to the Venezuelan Constitution.

In their resolution issued last October 18, CNE ordering suspension of such videos claiming that they "infer that there indications that they (the videos) are intended to encourage electoral abstention, this discouraging the exercise of the right to vote."

Globovisión, in a letter forwarded to CNE directors, said "this move amounts to an act of censorship as expressly prohibited in the Constitution, under which 'everyone has the right to express freely his or her thoughts, and to use for such purpose any news media, and no censorship shall be established.'"