(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Internal Relations and Justice José Ignacio Arcaya, Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general, “protested the pressure exercised against the Radio Guadalupana radio station, located in the city of Coro, Falcon state.” In the letter, the organisation said it “believes that the Bureau of Military Intelligenceâs (Direccion de Inteligencia Militar, […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Internal Relations and Justice José Ignacio Arcaya, Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general, “protested the pressure exercised against the Radio Guadalupana radio station, located in the city of Coro, Falcon state.” In the letter, the organisation said it “believes that the Bureau of Military Intelligenceâs (Direccion de Inteligencia Militar, DIM) intervention in the offices of Radio Guadalupana constitutes a serious threat to freedom of expression.” RSF recalled that “it is the first time that our organisation has had to denounce a violation to free expression since Hugo Chávezâs ascension to head of state.” Robert Ménard asked the minister “to take appropriate measures to ensure that freedom of expression is not further threatened by the state functionaries.”
On 29 November, two members of DIM presented themselves to the offices of the Catholic radio station in order to accuse them of “sabotaging” the process of adopting the new Constitution, which is slated for referendum on 15 December. According to the stationâs director, Gisela Rivero, the two individuals told her that as of that moment they were going to record Radio Guadalupana radio programmes. The previous evening, Coroâs Archbishop Roberto Luckert, who is responsible for the station, harshly criticised President Chávez and called on the Venezuelan people to vote against the new Constitution which Chávez is championing.
