Behold the chronicle of a regulation foretold. Venezuelan President's call for regulation of the Internet and subscription TV did not surprise Marcelino Bisbal, a professor at Caracas-based Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), who has been warning against this possibility for a long time, because "the web is the last link in the network of media that has not been regulated by the government. Internet is the tool that allows the greatest flexibility to exercise freedom of expression."

The communication expert added that the Venezuelan ruler's move shows that the "government fears the media, (despite the fact that) it has sought to neutralize them through legal mechanisms such as the Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television and the reform of the Criminal Code, as well as measures such as the closure of TV and radio stations. This has created fear, above all in the provinces, and promoted self-censorship."

Bisbal recalled that in August 2008 the government circulated the draft Organic Law on Telecommunications, a legal instrument that proposed the establishment of a single network access system similar to that in Cuba, China, North Korea, Iran or Belarus.

"The establishment of a single node would allow authorities to block access to some websites. This is technically feasible," he said. Bisbal added: "However, it is also technically possible to avoid controls. There is no better example than Cuban bloggers, who have to do a lot of things to publish their web contents."

President Chávez's announcement in a televised speech came weeks after the Cuban Minister of Technology Ramiro Valdés, who is responsible for monitoring the contents that Cubans may or may not watch and read on the Internet, visited Venezuela

Excuses, excuses!
Meanwhile, Carlos Correa, the director of NGO Espacio Público, accused the Venezuelan government of seeking excuses to restrict freedom of expression on the Web.

In order to justify his proposal to control the digital media, President Chávez pointed to rumors posted on a news site concerning the alleged death of Mario Silva, a pro-Chávez TV anchor, and of the Minister of Public Works, Diosdado Cabello.

"You can not hold a web site responsible for a (false) report made by a participant in a discussion forum. Criminal responsibility is individual," the communication analyst said. Correa added: "the government is looking for an excuse to control the Internet. Such measures are only intended to restrict the debate that occurs in the Web, although it does not mean that everything posted on the Web is true. If you want to end the rumors, you should accept that restrictions only serve to promote rumors."

Finally, the president of the Digital Press Bloc and former presidential candidate Vladimir Gessen rejected the announcement and said that the Internet promotes full freedom of expression.

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas