Following April’s presidential election, the International Press Institute (IPI) has continued to monitor events in Venezuela. Numerous recent incidents suggest press freedom remains under threat since President Nicolás Maduro officially took office.
In recent weeks, there have been reports of a number of physical attacks against the media. On May 27, an explosive devise was thrown in front of the building that houses El Panorama newspaper. While no injuries or material damage were reported, flyers thrown along with the explosive suggested the attack was politically motivated and attributable to a group that calls itself ‘Bolivarian Liberation Forces (Fuerzas Bolivarianas de Liberación).’
IPI Deputy Director Anthony Mills said: “We urge the government of President Maduro to address the environment of hostility that continues to affect members of the Venezuelan media. The current levels of violence and the frequency of the attacks severely hamper the ability of journalists to carry out their work.”
Individual journalists have also been subject to physical violence. On May 3, Johnny Gonzáles, a sports reporter at Líder newspaper, was shot dead after resisting an apparent robbery. Police investigations into Gonzáles’ murder have so far failed to exclude the possibility that his murder was related to his journalistic work. On June 3, the Caracas section of the National Association of Journalists (Colegio Nacional de Periodistas) called on authorities to expedite the murder investigation and bring the full weight of the law to bear on those responsible for the crime.
In a separate incident, on April 12, the car of Lilia Giménez – a correspondent for Anaquense Newspaper – was set on fire outside her home in Aragua de Barcelona, in the state of Anzoátegui. Giménez claimed the attack was most likely a reprisal for an article published by her newspaper, which linked family members of a local political leader to a murder. According to IPYS reports, Giménez has refused protection offered to her because of lack of trust in the police.
The tenure of President Maduro has shown more than an apparent inability or unwillingness to prevent attacks against journalists. In the same vein as its predecessor, the new government has exhibited high levels of animosity against certain sectors of the media. On May 26, Maduro continued the tirade against international media outlets and stated that CNN’s Spanish language service was behind a conspiracy that called for foreign “intervention” and a “coup d’état” in Venezuela.
The hostility against journalists by government officials has not been limited to verbal attacks, but has been coupled with more obvious efforts to hinder the practice of journalism. At a May 30 press conference, Tibisay Lucena, President of the National Electoral Council, refused to answer questions posed by Eugenio Martínez of El Universal newspaper, known for its criticism of the Venezuelan government. Lucena justified her conduct by claiming that the press conference was not an event for “political opinion writers.”
In a separate incident, on May 24, Daniel Colina, a reporter for Globovisión TV station, was denied admission by Ministry of Justice officials to a function organised to pay tribute to members of the Bolivarian National Police – Venezuela’s state security force. Similarly, Maru Morales – a legal reporter at El Nacional newspaper – said she was denied access to National Assembly meetings on May 21 and 22 that were open to other journalists. When Morales asked for the reason of her exclusion, she was merely told that “those were the orders.” Morales went on to request a recurso de amparo – a judicial remedy for constitutional violations – from the Supreme Justice Tribunal of Venezuela.
Private media outlets appear to have been particularly affected, especially those critical of the government. On May 26, Francisco ‘Kiko’ Bautista, anchor of the political commentary show ‘Buenas Noches,’ was fired from the television channel Globovisión after his extensive coverage on the speeches and activities of opposition leader Henrique Capriles. The firing occurred within days of a May 22 meeting between President Maduro and Globovisión’s new executives, during which the latter promised to work with the government towards achieving the goals “of peace and life.”
Globovisión, which was sold on May 13, had been previously known as a fierce critic of the Chávez and Maduro governments. The former owner, Guillermo Zuloaga, stated he was forced “to sell the channel because it could no longer withstand pressure on several fronts.” He said that the pressure “included the Venezuelan government trying to force them off the air by denying them a renewal of their broadcasting license.” Globovisión was sold to Juan Domingo Cordero, who is said to have a “cozy” relationship with Venezuelan officials.
IPI has previously expressed serious concern about attacks against the media in Venezuela, arguing that they lead to self-censorship and the loss of important information and opinion.
“A vital role of journalism is to hold governments to account, including through critical reporting,” IPI Deputy Director Mills said. “Yet when fear of violence or of losing one’s job are in play, as currently seen in Venezuela, silence will often reign.”
