The European Parliament,

–   having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Venezuela and in particular its resolutions of 24 May 2007 on the Radio Caracas TV channel case in Venezuela, of 23 October 2008 on the political disqualifications in Venezuela and of 6 May 2009 on the case of Manuel Rosales in Venezuela,

- having regard to Rule 122 (5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. Whereas the Chavez government conducts a policy of harassment, threats, intimidation and repression against the opposition;

B. Whereas the Venezuelan President incessantly carries out a relentless campaign against independent media and particularly against those who question the government’s policies,

C.  Whereas on 1 August 2009 the government of Hugo Chávez closed 34 radio stations by non-renewal of their licenses,

D.  Whereas in May 2007 President Hugo Chávez’s government declined to renew RCTV's license to broadcast to the public, and the channel was forced to become international in order to transmit its signal through cable television,

E. Whereas in January 2010 President Chevez has ordered off air RCTV International (RCTV-I) and five other cable and satellite TV channels (TV Chile, Ritmo Son, Momentum, America TV, and American Network) after they failed to broadcast the official presidential speech on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the overthrow of Perez Jimenez; and whereas two of them - America TV and RCTVI - are still banned,

F. Whereas on 24 January the signal of six channels regarded as “guilty” of not broadcasting president’s “cadena” was cut off without giving any advance warning and without respecting procedures laid down by the Constitution,

G.  Whereas these measures seek to gain control and impose a muzzling of the media and to curtail democratic rights to freedom of expression and information,

H. Whereas following closure of channels thousands of university students protested against banning of opposition-allied TV channels from cable and satellite as a means of silencing president’s critics; and whereas during the rally two students were killed and at least five journalists were injured or attacked,

I. Whereas, according to Transparency International report 2009, Venezuela is one of the world's most corrupt countries and the worst in Latin America after being ranked 162nd in the list of 180 countries and whereas corruption has affected even prominent members of Chavez's own government,

1. Expresses its dismay at the deaths of 2 young students during the demonstrations in support of RCTV and calls on Venezuelan authorities to carry out an investigation in order to clarify the circumstances of their death;

2. Condemns the recent media crackdown in Venezuela that banned six cable and satellite TV channels after they failed to broadcast a speech by President Hugo Chávez;

3. Calls on Venezuelan government to re-establish guarantees of freedom of expression;

4. Calls on Venezuelan government to reverse measures that reduce the ability of government opposition to express their opinions and that seriously undermine freedom of expression in the country;

5.  Condemns all attacks on freedom of expression and information and any attempt to control and muzzle the free and independent press;

6.  Deplores the totalitarian actions of the Chávez government whose measures tend to suppress the democratic opposition, restrict the rights and freedoms of citizens and in order to remain in power, establishing progressively an authoritarian regime;

7. Calls the Venezuelan government to respects the rules of democracy, the principle of the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association during the forthcoming parliamentary election in September 2010;

8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, the Mercosur parliament and the Government and National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.