The Sucre state governor issued the threat in reaction to a news story that, according to him, linked government agencies to the discovery of thousands of kilos of rotten chickens in a garbage dump.
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 June 2010, the governor of the western Venezuelan state of Sucre, Enrique Maestre, announced that he will sue Globovisión and accused the television station of “promoting” terrorism.
Maestre was reacting to a report broadcast two days earlier by the television station in which, according to him, government companies were linked to the discovery of more than 18 thousand kilos of rotten chickens in a garbage dump in Cumaná, the capital of Sucre.
The Globovisión report stated that next to the chickens they found boxes marked with the logos for two companies, Sadia and Aveguay. Products from the two companies, which are based in Argentina and Brazil respectively, are distributed by Venezuelan state-run food supply networks. The report, however, did not specifically say that the chickens belonged to the government agencies.
A police investigation concluded that the chickens belonged to a private company, Pollos de Venezuela.
In declarations made to the state-run television station Venezolana de Televisión, Maestre said, “We have a proposal for the country, to launch a criminal lawsuit against Globovisión, this instrument that is used to covertly promote terrorism.” He also said the television station had failed to confirm the information with official sources.
In addition, the minister for nutrition, Félix Osorio, accused Globovisión of manipulating information.
IPYS condemns the ongoing threats and accusations against Globovisión and demands that journalists and the media be allowed to freely carry out their work.
