WHEREAS the facts presented in the report on Venezuela being approved by the IAPA Midyear Meeting in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
WHEREAS the government of Venezuela has publicly said it is not ready to recognize the legislative function of the National Assembly democratically elected last December 6, which affects the state of law and legal guarantees of freedom of expression and of the press
WHEREAS the government of Venezuela exercises state monopoly on newsprint and denies its provision to the free and independent press, thus there occurring the closing down of the newspaper El Carabobeño and putting at risk of shutdown another 80 Venezuelan newspapers
WHEREAS the government of Venezuela and the Supreme Court have publicly declared not being disposed to comply with the rulings of the Inter-American Human Rights Court, particularly that which orders restoration of the signal and the assets of Radio Caracas Televisión
WHEREAS the government intensifies the criminalization of the work of the press maintaining under legal prosecution several publishers and journalists, and in particular there has been ordered the arrest of David Natera Febres, publisher of the newspaper Correo del Caroní
THE IAPA MIDYEAR MEETING RESOLVES
to ask the government to put an end to the strategy of shutdown of news media, giving immediate access to all print media to newsprint, without any discrimination, especially to El Carabobeño and El Impulso and the other media that have already had to close down for lack of newsprint
to ask the Venezuelan government to cease the use of the Judicial Branch as a tool of persecution of the press, as in the case of publisher David Natera Febres
to ask the Venezuelan government to comply with the ruling of the Inter-American Human Rights Court, which demands the restoration of the signal and broadcast equipment of Radio Caracas Televisión.
