VENEZUELA

VENEZUELA WHEREAS the new Venezuelan Constitution poses a series of risks for the exercise of freedom of expression and opinion by constitutionally establishing the “right to timely, truthful and impartial information” WHEREAS the concept of “timely, truthful and impartial information” grants discretionary power to a ruling government to determine what truth should be disseminated WHEREAS the principles approved in the Constitution openly contravene the American Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the citizens of signatory nations free and unlimited access to “information and ideas of all kinds” WHEREAS a dangerous attitude exists on the part of the State, with the President of the Republic hurling constant threats and insults against the print media and its publishers, editors and journalists WHEREAS Publishers and journalists are being sued in court, accused of contempt, defamation and libel, facing long-drawn out trails because of a demand their alleged offenses not be subject to any statue of limitations. THE IAPA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RESOLVES to exhort the pertinent Venezuelan authorities to not utilize the constitutional concept of “timely, truthful and impartial information” to draft any possible “Press Law” which would make it impossible to practice journalism freely in an open and democratic society, such as is established in the American Convention on Human Rights, of which Venezuela is a signatory to urge the Venezuelan judiciary to maintain the statute of limitations intact for private actions such as contempt, libel or defamation, except for crimes against humanity and other such “atrocious” offenses.