Miami (August 14, 2024) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) rejected the charges of terrorism and incitement to hatred against four journalists imposed by the Venezuelan regime. The continental organization also condemned the increasing number of attacks, arbitrary detentions, harassment, censorship, and blockades against media outlets covering the protests that have spread following the controversial presidential elections of July 28.
Following the general elections and protests called by the political opposition to Nicolas Maduro's regime, there have been increased reports of arbitrary detentions, particularly in the country's interior, as reported by El Nacional. According to the newspaper's reports, some governors and mayors issued "instructions" to radio stations to suspend broadcasts covering the protests.
The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP, in Spanish) and the organization IPYS Venezuela reported the detention of four journalists who were accused of committing alleged terrorist acts and incitement to hatred. They are Yousner Alvarado, a photojournalist in Barinas; Paúl León, a cameraman for VPI TV in Trujillo; Deisy Peña, a photojournalist in Miranda; and José Gregorio Carnero, a journalist and political leader from Guárico. All four remain in detention. Rolando Carreño, a journalist and opposition leader, was detained on August 2 and accused of "acts of violence and hatred," as reported by El Impulso. The journalists Carlos Julio Rojas, since April, and Ramón Centeno, since February 2021, are also imprisoned, according to SNTP records. All seven remain detained.
Roberto Rock, IAPA's president and director of La Silla Rota in Mexico, expressed deep concern about the alarming political crisis in Venezuela and its impact on freedom of expression. "We are facing a scenario in which Venezuelan authorities have flagrantly violated basic human rights enshrined in the Constitution, with a particular emphasis on severe restrictions on freedom of expression and the press."
Carlos Jornet, president of the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information of the IAPA and editorial director with La Voz del Interior in Argentina, noted the organization's "strong condemnation" of the systematic repression against journalists and media outlets who, in their commitment to keep citizens informed, face hostility, censorship, and judicial harassment without due process, leading to arbitrary detentions. "For those who still claim that Maduro's regime is democratic, this is a clear proof of error, naivety, or complicity: informing, expressing opinions, and reporting irregularities is not terrorism; it is freedom. But it is clear how dangerous freedoms of thought, expression, and information are for a dictatorship, for tyranny. This is why those in power feel terror."
The National College of Journalists (CNP, in Spanish) denounced that reporters from at least five states were labeled on the internet as 'operators of the fascist right' and warned that their faces were published, forcing them to hide for their safety.
The government of Nicolás Maduro also banned the use of social media X and the instant messaging application Signal. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), there were 18 cases of access restrictions, 30 acts of intimidation and threats, nine expulsions of foreign journalists, and four physical assaults, among other acts of censorship.
As reported by the Venezuelan NGO Conexión Segura y Libre, to date, 62 media outlets have been blocked by major Internet service providers, affecting 86 domains and totaling 431 active blocks. Additionally, nine websites of human rights organizations were also blocked, with a total of 41 active blocks.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
