VENEZUELA: New York, February 12, 2008—A group of Venezuelan legislators urged the Attorney General’s Office yesterday to investigate private television station Globovisión, alleging the broadcaster is damaging the image of President Hugo Chávez Frías. Led by Deputy Juan Carlos Dugarte, from the official Movimiento Quinta República party, a group of lawmakers and government supporters gave…
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…