MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chavez bans Spanish pop singer from government stadium

Only Chavez and his supporters can sing at National Stadium

A popular Spanish singer has been banned from performing in a Caracas stadium over remarks he made about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Higher Education Minister Luis Acuña accused Alejandro Sanz of criticizing Chavez three years ago while touring Venezuela.

The ban refers to a concert at a state-run stadium but the government says he can perform at any privately owned venue. Some 15.000 fans hoped to see Sanz at the stadium in the capital on November first. Sanz, widely popular in Latin America, in 2004 accused Chavez of trying to stymie a nationwide campaign for a recall referendum against him and jokingly said if as many people demanded he quit singing, he would do so. "If an artist comes to Venezuela to rail against Chavez, against the Bolivarian revolution movement, how do you think the people of this country would respond if he were to be allowed to use" the stadium, Acuña argued during a radio interview. Chavez regularly holds political rallies at the site, which is owned by a university that the president created and is one of the country's largest stadiums, often hosting international artists' concerts. The pop singer has sold 21 million albums and won more than a dozen Latin Grammys. Chavez a self-described socialist revolutionary with strong electoral support from the poor majority of Venezuela this year forced the shutdown of the country's longest established television station that collected massive criticism locally and overseas, with growing accusations towards his autocratic style or rule. This year, after high-profile visitors gave speeches criticizing his government, he said foreigners who show a lack of respect for Venezuelans should be deported. Acuña over the weekend said that from now on, the government will ensure concerts held at the state stadium do not promote "anti-educational values".