Miami (March 24, 2010)–The report on violations of press freedom in Venezuela produced the most discussion at the recent meeting of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) in Aruba. Focused on censorship and government hostility toward the news media, the report detailed the harassment of television channels RCTV Internacional and Globovisión and outlined economic sabotage of the media.
After the report was read on Sunday (March 21) by IAPA regional vice chairman for Venezuela, David Natera of the Puerto Ordaz newspaper Correo del Caroní, members of the hemisphere free press organization waived its rules and allowed journalists from Venezuelan state-owned television channels and officials of President Hugo Chavez’s government to take part in the discussions. The debate was broadcast live by Globovisión while attendees and thousands of Internet users followed it via the Twitter microblog #SIPIAPA.
The IAPA Aruba meeting gathered some 250 participants between March 16-22. The report on Venezuela can be seen at http://www.sipiapa.com/v4/index.php?page=det_informe&asamblea=25&infoid=413&idioma=sp
The IAPA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and of expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 print publications from throughout the Western Hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida. For more information, please go to http://www.sipiapa.org
