If you want to have a feeling about the state of democracy in Venezuela and you speak Spanish, just read the official messages from the Venezuelan National Assembly.
That account has links to official government sites.
"Public institutions meet to make justice to the victims of the IV Republic" (i.e. the democracy before military coupster Chávez got democratically elected)
"People from Miranda state protest (opposition) Capriles because of insecurity" (never mind the murder rate has more than tripled since the military coupster Chávez came to power
"72% of Venezuelans think the role of the right (i.e. those who are not part of the military regim) is bad or mediocre"
"Soto Rojas (president of National Assembly, ex guerilla): Venezuela is a completely democratic country" (what democratic country has its leaders repeating that ad nauseam?)
And now for those useful idiots who talk about the private TV channels's power: less than 30% of Venezuelans can watch TV that is critical of Chávez. Unfortunately, useful idiots from abroad never travel around Venezuela. They just watch reality from hotel rooms or Potemkin villages or Caracas.