CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela’s President Hugo  Chavez, who is criticized by media freedom groups, called on  Saturday for regulation of the Internet and singled out a  website that he said falsely reported the murder of one of his  ministers.

“The Internet cannot be something open where anything is  said and done. Every country has to apply its own rules and  norms,” Chavez said. He cited German Chancellor Angel Merkel as  having expressed a similar sentiment recently.

Chavez is angry with Venezuelan political opinion and  gossip website Noticierodigital, which he said had falsely  written that Diosdado Cabello, a senior minister and close  aide, had been assassinated. The president said the story  remained on the site for two days.

“We have to act. We are going to ask the attorney general  for help, because this is a crime. I have information that this  page periodically publishes stories calling for a coup d’etat.  That cannot be permitted.”

Social networking web sites like Twitter and Facebook are  very popular among Venezuela’s opposition movements to organize  protests against the government. Chavez has complained that  people use such sites to spread unfounded rumors.

Many opponents fear Chavez plans to emulate the government  oversight of the Web used by allies Cuba, China and Iran, but  the socialist leader has not given any sign that he is planning  such a move.

In 2007 Chavez refused to renew the license for television  station RCTV, which is now battling to survive as a cable-only  operator.

The government has also put pressure on opposition TV  network Globovision to soften its editorial line and last year  closed dozens of radio stations for administrative breaches.