During 2002, a worsening political crisis brought Venezuela to the brink of collapse and threatened to derail democracy there. As the degradation of state institutions continued, society’s extreme polarization and intolerance multiplied the risks for journalists.
New York, February 6, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is alarmed that Venezuela’s Infrastructure Ministry has opened an investigation into the private, Caracas-based television stations Televén and Venevisión to determine if they have violated media broadcast regulations. The ministry could fine the stations or suspend or even revoke their licenses. On January 30 and…
New York, January 23, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is alarmed that the Infrastructure Ministry is investigating private television stations Globovisión and Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) to determine whether they violated media broadcast regulations. The ministry could fine the stations or suspend or revoke their licenses. CPJ believes that the stations are being targeted…
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is alarmed by the numerous attacks against Venezuelan journalists during the last three weeks. The two latest incidents, which occurred this week during a strike by the political opposition, the country’s largest workers’ union, and an association of businesses, are particularly worrying because state security forces were either involved in the aggressions or did little to stop them.
New York, November 18, 2002—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about recent attacks on Venezuelan journalists, the latest of which occurred yesterday at the 24-hour news channel Globovisión. On Sunday, November 17, a bomb went off in the parking lot of Globovisión’s offices, which are located in the eastern section of the…
New York, April 17, 2002—In the aftermath of last week’s failed coup against President Hugo Chávez Frías, Chávez supporters harassed several Venezuelan media outlets, CPJ has learned. On Thursday, just before his ouster, Chávez had accused local broadcasters of conspiring to overthrow his government. At around 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, when President Chávez…
New York, April 12, 2002—Venezuelan journalist Jorge Tortoza died last night after being shot in the head while covering the violent clashes in the capital, Caracas, that forced Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías to resign this morning, CPJ has confirmed. Eurídice Ledezma, a Venezuelan journalist and political analyst, told CPJ that Tortoza was shot by…
AGAINST A BACKDROP OF TROUBLED ECONOMIES AND DEMOCRACIES, the Americas saw an increase in violent and verbal attacks against journalists during 2001. The number of journalists murdered in the region has grown, with 11 killed for their work in 2001, compared to seven in 2000 and six in 1999. The violence is also occurring in…