Mapping Venezuela’s shrinking radio landscape

Radio is crucial to keeping Venezuela’s population informed, especially in remote areas, as many print newspapers have been forced to close, internet shutdowns have become more frequent, and television outlets have been censored. But this vital source of information is at risk of dying out, with the exception of stations that broadcast “government propaganda, including Chávez singing,” as José Gregorio Galindo, owner of Radio Criolla in the state of Apure, told CPJ in March 2020.

As Venezuelans try to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 amid ongoing widespread shortages of basic necessities such as food, fuel, and medicines, the Maduro regime has continued to restrict reporting on the public health emergency, CPJ has documented. According to Espacio Público, nine stations have gone off the air in the first five months of 2020, including Rumbera 106.9, which was shut down by the Venezuelan telecommunications regulatory body, CONATEL, in May.

CPJ reached out to the Venezuelan communications ministry (MINCI) and CONATEL for comment via telephone but the calls to MINCI went unanswered, and when calling CONATEL CPJ reached an answering machine.

CPJ interviewed Galindo and four other owners or managers of stations that have been shut down by the government in March 2020; their responses have been edited for length and clarity. One of the interviewees asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

“[CONATEL] came, accompanied by National Guard agents wearing bullet proof vests, and took everything. They did not have a warrant, I was never notified of anything, nor was there an ongoing administrative process. I was afraid for the outlet’s employees who were there, so I asked them to leave the station alone. The agents were there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., they destroyed everything and stole our equipment. We were shut down, ransacked, looted, destroyed.” (CPJ interview with radio outlet owner, anonymous)

“CONATEL came with the National Guard, they took the equipment, they stole the equipment, microphones, internet modems, transmitter, everything, without providing any explanation. I opposed and they detained me, they took me out handcuffed, I was defending my property. I spent several hours arrested until they let me go.” (José Gregorio Galindo, Radio Criolla 92.9)

The station closures often coincided with protests or political turmoil, or when the outlets covered sensitive topics or opposition events, according to a CPJ analysis of the events and interviews with station owners.

The year 2017 brought the highest number of shutdowns, with 57, according to Espacio Público. That year, the country saw a wave of protests triggered by an attempt from the government-controlled Supreme Court to deprive the opposition-controlled National Assembly of its powers. As the demonstrations ballooned into huge crowds protesting the government and the humanitarian crisis nationwide, authorities responded by cracking down on protesters—and journalists covering the protests —and the opposition, and stepping up repression of the independent press.

“With the shutdown of our station, RCR, the government acted more violently. Soldiers dressed as civilians arrived carrying firearms. The top five components of the transmitter were stolen, it’s a $72,000 piece of equipment. It was absolutely illegal, illegitimate and violent.” (Jaime Nestares Phelps, Radio Caracas Radio 750 AM).

“Operation Freedom happened on April 29, 2019, and it was frustrating. We covered it, as best and carefully as possible, considering how sensitive it was. The following day I received tens of calls from people telling me ‘forget about the radio, the order has been issued to shut you down.’ Two weeks later CONATEL arrived at the station, they violently unplugged and stole all of the equipment. I don’t even know where the equipment is. They almost arrested the journalist who was there. It’s been a year, and I have never received any notification.” (Radio outlet owner, anonymous)

Note: CPJ would like to thank Venezuelan press freedom organization Espacio Público for granting permission to use its data for this piece. Espacio Público, which has been documenting every radio station pulled off the air in the country since 2004, includes in its data stations that were shut down due to orders or actions by authorities, as well as those forced off the air due to lack of basic services, including power and gasoline. Once Espacio Público is made aware of a shutdown via its permanent monitoring of the media landscape in the country, it documents each individual case and adds it to their database.