Venezuela / Americas

On Monday, Venezuelan Judge José Oliveros announced that he would begin a new trial against journalist Gustavo Azócar, an outspoken Chávez critic, who has spent two months in prison without being sentenced. Oliveros, the local press reported, also upheld a decision to hold the television host and blogger in custody throughout the new trial. The…

Venezuelan Judge Fanny Yasmina Becerra ordered the arrest of journalist Gustavo Azócar on July 29, 2009, stating that he violated the conditions of his 2006 parole on charges of illegal acquisition of wealth and fraud by publicly commenting on his case. Táchira state authorities took Azócar into custody at 10:30 p.m., and drove him to…

We issued the following statement today in response to the announcement that regulators will soon revoke the broadcast concessions of 29 private radio stations and opened a sixth administrative procedure against private broadcaster Globovisión…

On August 15, Caracas authorities arrested Gabriel Uzcátegui in connection with a violent attack against a dozen local journalists who were protesting an education bill that critics fear will restrict press freedom in Venezuela. Uzcátegui is an employee of the government-owned broadcaster AvilaTV, the national daily EL Nacional reported.

At noon on Tuesday, Venezuelan authorities arrested pro-government activist Lina Ron and took her to Caracas’ military intelligence headquarters, according to an official statement by the Venezuelan Minister of Interior and Justice Tarek El Aissami. Ron, a founding and very public member of the far-left political party Union Patriótica Venezolana (UPV), appeared in footage of…

New York, August 3, 2009–A group of more than 30 armed pro-government militants riding motorcycles stormed the premises of private broadcaster Globovisión today and  set off tear gas, local press reports said. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack and called on authorities to provide Globovisión and its staff members the necessary protection to…

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…

We issued the following statement today in response to Venezuelan Minister of Housing and Public Works Diosdado Cabello’s announcement that regulators have revoked the broadcast licenses of 34 private radio stations…

New York, July 30, 2009–A bill by Venezuela’s attorney general that punishes “press crimes” with prison terms is an unprecedented step in the crusade by President Hugo Chávez Frías’ administration to curtail media freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.