(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 May 2004, a Globovisión television station news team was denied access to the Miraflores presidential palace. A videotape with images of the building’s exterior was also confiscated. Journalist Augusto Bravo, camera operator José Umbría and assistant Ademar Dona went to the presidential palace to cover a meeting between President Hugo Chávez […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 May 2004, a Globovisión television station news team was denied access to the Miraflores presidential palace. A videotape with images of the building’s exterior was also confiscated.
Journalist Augusto Bravo, camera operator José Umbría and assistant Ademar Dona went to the presidential palace to cover a meeting between President Hugo Chávez and Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, the former president of Costa Rica and a candidate for the position of secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Bravo told IPYS that they were denied access to the part of the presidential palace that leads to the press room. He explained that, as required, the television station sent a fax to the presidential palace with the names of the individuals who were going to cover the event in order to receive accreditation. The information, however, was not passed on to the appropriate security officers and, as a result, the Globovisión reporters were denied entry. Bravo said that this has happened several times in the past.
After being denied entry, the news team tried to film a segment about the incident outside a building that houses the presidential security staff and is located in front of the presidential palace. While they were filming, two security officers told them that, for security reasons, they were not permitted to film at that location and asked them to hand over the videotape. The reporters complied with the security officers’ request.
