(IPYS/IFEX) – On 13 October 2004, two community radio stations, a commercial radio station and a cable television station were raided by officials of the National Telecommunications Commission (Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, CONATEL), which operates under the Infrastructure Ministry. The officials were accompanied by National Guard (Guardia Nacional) officers. The incidents occurred in the city […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 13 October 2004, two community radio stations, a commercial radio station and a cable television station were raided by officials of the National Telecommunications Commission (Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, CONATEL), which operates under the Infrastructure Ministry. The officials were accompanied by National Guard (Guardia Nacional) officers. The incidents occurred in the city of Maracaibo, capital of Zula state, western Venezuela.
The officials raided the studios of the Sol Estéreo 92.9 FM commercial radio station, the Pueblo Estéreo 107.7 FM community radio station, the Sol Comunicaciones cable television station and the Divertida 100.1 FM radio station.
José Palmar, a Catholic priest and manager of Sol Estéreo 92.9 FM, told IPYS that the authorities’ actions resulted in interruption of the station’s signal.
«Four officials arrived at approximately 10:00 a.m. and showed us a document that supposedly outlined the irregularities we were committing. By cutting the transmission electric cable, they caused a short-circuit and a small fire,» Palmar said. According to the Palmar, the damages will cost the station as much as US$20,000.
Palmar heads the People’s Network (Red del Pueblo) organisation, which supports President Hugo Chávez’s administration. He said the station’s neighbours intervened and prevented the officials from seizing its equipment. The priest said he has submitted an application for authorisation for the station to operate.
Sol Estéreo 92.9 FM was off the air for 12 hours. With the help of other radio stations, it resumed broadcasting on the night of 13 October.
Gustavo Espina, who was on duty at Pueblo Estéreo 107.7 FM when the raid occurred, told IPYS that four CONATEL officials accompanied by two National Guard officers came to the station and tried to force him to sign a document authorising them to seize the station’s equipment.
«They wore CONATEL hats and had CONATEL identification and they told me to sign a document so they could take the equipment. Before I even had a chance to sign though, they began dismantling the antennas. About 70 people from the community came to station and, by throwing rocks, sticks and bottles at the officials, prevented them from seizing the material,» Espina said. The station has remained on the air.
IPYS also spoke with Jorge Bozo, the owner of Sol Comunicaciones, who said that the CONATEL officials dismantled and carried away the station’s equipment in a very aggressive manner. «They left us without a signal. We suffered financial losses of approximately US$5,000,» Bozo said. He explained that the officials told his wife that they were going to carry out an inspection, but what took place instead was a seizure of equipment.
IPYS contacted CONATEL for comment but has not yet received a response.
The three radio stations that were raided have submitted applications to CONATEL to obtain authorisation to operate but thus far have not received the authorisation. The stations have been broadcasting and therefore are liable to prosecution under the Telecommunications Law. However, Articles 178 and 179 of the law stipulate that an investigative process into any alleged infractions must be carried out before any other measures are taken.
