General Assembly 2008 Country Report: Venezuela
Inter American Press Association
5 November 2008
1 minute read
The crisis in Venezuela has seen a significant deployment of the surveillance and control apparatus that the state has built up over recent years. This apparatus has been repeatedly denounced by civil society and organizations defending internet freedom in the country.
Given the current electoral situation in Venezuela, the undersigned international organizations and regional networks defending freedom of the press and expression express their concern about the attacks against national and international journalists who are documenting the events happening in the country, as well as activists, demonstrators, and the general population. We urge the Venezuelan authorities to fulfill their obligation to guarantee and protect the exercise of freedom of expression and peaceful association, as well as to guarantee the safety of journalists working in the country.
The episode involving journalist Antonio Di Giampaolo typifies how government control of the media and self-censorship has distorted election coverage in Venezuela and deprived voters of vital information about the presidential candidates.