By Joel SimonIn August 2008, when the Olympic torch is lit in Beijing, more than 20,000 journalists will be on hand to cover the competition between the world’s greatest athletes. Behind the scenes, another competition will be taking place. If the Chinese government has its way, this one will remain hidden. It will be a…
Preaching Without A ChoirBy Carlos LauríaAt June’s annual assembly of the organization of American states (OAS) in Panama, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged foreign ministers to send the group’s secretary-general, José Miguel Insulza, to investigate Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías’ decision to pull the plug on the country’s oldest private television station, RCTV.
VENEZUELA The Venezuelan government’s unprecedented decision not to renew the broadcast concession of the country’s oldest private television station, RCTV, represented a major setback for free expression and democracy. The decision, aimed at silencing Venezuela’s most critical media outlet, was part of President Hugo Chávez Frías’ aggressive strategy to challenge the influence of the private…
OCTOBER 25, 2007 Posted December 7, 2007 Paulina Moreno, Ávila TV ATTACKED Moreno, a reporter for the government-owned Ávila TV, was injured during an explosion at a debate in Caracas on the constitutional reforms proposed by President Hugo Chávez Frías.
AUGUST 14, 2007 Posted August 16, 2007 Leoncenis García, Reporte LEGAL ACTION On the afternoon of July 14, the Venezuelan Public Ministry announced in a statement that a Caracas court had issued an arrest warrant for García at its request. The statement said García, a reporter for the Caracas-based economic daily Reporte, was wanted for…
New York, August 2, 2007—Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice issued a stay Wednesday allowing RCTV International and dozens of regional stations to remain on cable temporarily, a ruling that came just hours before a deadline set by the government that could have removed their signals from paid subscription television. The constitutional chamber of the…
New York, July 31, 2007—The Venezuelan government has asked cable and satellite providers to remove RCTV’s new signal from their programming by tomorrow if the station does not register as a national broadcaster. RCTV has been operating as a paid subscription channel since July 16 after being taken off the public airwaves by the government…
JUNE 27, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 Roger Santodomingo, Noticiero Digital THREATENED Santodomingo, director of the Internet news site Noticiero Digital, resigned from his post after his 9-year old son was handed a threatening letter at school that accused the journalist of working for the U.S. government and against Venezuela, according to CPJ interviews and…
New York, May 29, 2007—Venezuela’s commitment to democracy has suffered a serious blow as the government forced private television station RCTV off the air for political reasons on Monday after 53 years of continuous broadcasting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. “This arbitrary decision thwarts Venezuelans’ right to seek and receive information and represents…