Venezuela, which has no problem jailing its opposition leaders, is not joking around with comedians who are critical of the state.

According to the Wall Street Journal, several comedians hailing from the socialist South American country have described being blacklisted from state-run theaters and hotels. Faced with the pressures of having to contend with a government that interferes with their ability to perform, some comedians have decided to pack it up and entertain abroad.

Stand-up comedian Alex Goncalves, who now lives in Panama, claimed he was chased out of a town he had performed in by pro-government thugs.

“We had to run to the car and go, like criminals,” the comic said.

As reported by NPR, a frustrated Goncalves said, "They think that because we did jokes about Chavez or Maduro we are going to bring down the government."

Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Emilio Lovera, a 53-year-old performer whose satirical TV show “Misión Emilio” was canceled last year, said the censorship directed at Venezuelan comedians is getting worse every day.

“I can no longer work on television,” Lovera said.

Comedians are feeling a real push back from the government. Venezuela is in a particularly dire situation, dealing with rising crime as well as runaway inflation and many allegations of corruption. The struggling country has chosen to closely monitor any political satirists regarding possible dissent.

Soon after humorist Laureano Márquez decided to incorporate his observations about daily poverty in an oil rich land into his act, he found venues where he (as well as Lovera) would be performing were temporarily closed ostensibly for tax evasion reasons.

President Nicolás Maduro, who earlier this year accused U.S. President Barack Obama of trying to overthrow his administration, denied his connection to any comedian quashing in a speech: “Enough with these evil rumors,” Maduro said.