We issued the following statement after some 30 gunmen, identified by reporters at the scene as government supporters, stormed the premises of broadcaster Globovisión in Caracas, disarmed the station’s security guards, and fired tear gas…
“The authorities have long waged a propaganda and judicial campaign against Globovisión for its critical reporting, but this assault on the station marks a serious escalation,” said CPJ Senior Program Coordinator for the Americas Carlos Lauría. “The government must publicly and unequivocally condemn this thuggish attack and cease its accusations against the network which help create the atmosphere in which such aggression is made possible. The authorities must now provide Globovisión and its staff with the necessary protection to ensure they can work freely and safely.”