Venezuelan columnist shot to death in front of home
New York, August 29, 2006—An unidentified assailant shot and killed Venezuelan columnist Jesús Rafael Flores Rojas last week in front of his home in El Tigre in southwestern Anzoátegui province. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating whether Flores’ murder is related to his journalistic work. Flores, known locally as “El Pavo Flores,” was editorial…
Chávez threatens critical private broadcasters
New York, June 15, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s threat to block the renewal of broadcast licenses for privately owned television and radio stations that oppose his government. Chávez said Wednesday that he had ordered a review of licenses for media outlets that supported the 2002 coup attempt…
State legislature calls for eviction of critical newspaper
New York, May 25, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that a request by a Venezuelan state assembly to evict the daily Correo del Caroní from its premises in a zoning dispute is an attempt to silence the newspaper’s critical reporting on local government corruption. The Bolívar state legislature said in a May 19…
Journalist convicted of criminal defamation
New York, May 5, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the criminal defamation conviction of Venezuelan journalist Henry Crespo, who was handed an 18-month suspended jail term after reporting on government corruption. Crespo, a reporter for the Caracas-based weekly Las Verdades de Miguel, was sentenced by the Caracas Eighteenth Tribunal on Wednesday. The…
Journalist released on parole
Updated: April 12, 2006 Original Alert: March 6, 2006 Gustavo Azócar, Televisora del Táchira IMPRISONED After being held at a maximum security prison in San Cristóbal for two weeks, Azócar was released on parole on March 22. Azócar may continue to host his television program “Café con Azócar” on Televisora del Táchira and write for…
Newspaper director convicted on defamation, slander charges
APRIL 11, 2006 Posted: May, 05 Ada Mireya Zurita, El Siglo LEGAL ACTION A judge decision convicted Zurita, director of the Maracay-based daily El Siglo, on criminal charges of defamation and slander. Judge Verónica Castro gave Zurita an 18-month suspended sentence and ordered her to pay legal fees to the plaintiff, Terry Rojas, chief of…
Venezuelan photographer gunned down near anti-crime protest
New York, April 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the killing on Wednesday of Venezuelan photographer Jorge Aguirre, who was shot as he approached an anti-crime demonstration. CPJ calls on Venezuelan authorities to conduct a prompt investigation and bring the killer to justice.
Bomb attack and threats against newspaper
New York, March 10, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a bomb attack on a Venezuelan newspaper and a threat against its editor. Unidentified assailants threw three homemade explosives on Wednesday at the offices of the daily La Región in Los Teques, southwest of Caracas. No one was injured in the attack, which caused minor…
Journalist arrested at TV station
New York, March 6, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the arrest today on fraud charges of a Venezuelan journalist known for his criticism of state authorities. Gustavo Azócar Alcalá was arrested in the western state of Táchira minutes after finishing a daily show he hosts on the San Cristóbal-based TV station Televisora…