Freedom of expression: 26 violations in September

In Venezuela, 26 violations of freedom of expression were recorded in September, 75 less than in August, when 101 were documented, according to data released on Friday by the NGO Espacio Público.

The NGO indicated that they recorded seven acts of censorship, six of verbal harassment, six administrative restrictions, four of intimidation, two judicial harassment and one threat.

“Among the 17 victims, we count six journalists or reporters, four media outlets and four web pages or platforms,” he added.

Freedom of expression in Venezuela is violated

The organization said that they documented 16 perpetrators, half of them State institutions, as well as two officials, two private operators, a security force and a member of the Executive Branch, which it did not specify.

“This pattern confirms that the official policy of attacks on free expression and inaction by other state agencies to prevent this and other violations of human rights is maintained,” Espacio Público indicated.

The NGO recalled that at the beginning of September, President Nicolás Maduro “harassed” the national digital media Cocuyo Effect, AsSuch and The Pitazo in his weekly television show.

“Maduro accused the three media outlets of being ‘founded, financed and maintained by USAID (United States Agency for International Development)’ and of imposing ‘manipulation on the network at the right moment,’ mentioning their coverage of the post-election protests and the national blackout on August 30,” the NGO said.

The organization documented the announcement of the closure of a radio station in the state of Falcón (northwest), by “orders of the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel)”, after 25 years of broadcasting.

On June 26, the National College of Journalists (CNP) denounced that a total of 405 media outlets have closed in Venezuela in the last two decades, as part of a “State policy” against “freedom of expression and the exercise of journalism”.