Communication and Information Minister Andrés Izarra Monday said international media are waging "a war" against President Hugo Chávez's government, as they intend to feature the Venezuelan ruler as a leader "opposed" to freedom of expression, DPA reported.

According to Izarra, some international media are trying to lay a "media siege" to Chávez.

"A media war is under way here, we cannot be naive about that," the Minister said in an interview with official television channel VTV.

Further, he denied reports that local news television network would be shut down in retaliation for its editorial stance against Chávez' government. Such claims were made by the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA), which is holding a meeting next March 28-31 in Caracas.

Last Sunday, Chávez said his followers were holding a rally rejecting what he called the "media terrorism." Such demonstration is to take place in parallel to the IAPA meeting.

"The presidents have to face this problem. Some presidents did, such as Evo (Morales), (Rafael) Correa, Cristina Fernández, Luiz Inácio Lula (da Silva)," he said, referring to the rulers of Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Brazil, respectively.

Chávez said the anti-IAPA forum would be held next Saturday in Rómulo Gallegos Center for Latin American Studies -located some feet away from the hotel where the IAPA is holding its meeting.

The head of the Venezuelan news agency ABN Freddy Fernández said the forum would be attended by reporters from 14 countries in Latin America. He added the encounter was intended as "a response to the moves the IAPA has made during the last 10 years, as it has emerged as the spearhead of the US drive to exercise domination over the continent."