JournalismPakistan.com | Published 7 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
NEW YORK - The Venezuelan government should halt its investigation of a leading independent newspaper's website and allow it to publish freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.
The Venezuelan national telecommunications regulator on May 22 opened an investigation into content published on the website of El Nacional, the country's biggest independent daily newspaper, and accused it of inciting unrest with its coverage of national elections that took place on May 20, according to news reports and newspaper staff.
The National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) ordered the newspaper to stop publishing information on its website that could "upset the peace of citizens...by presenting erroneous or unfounded information," according to a press release published on Conatel's website. The agency gave the newspaper ten days to present its defense, according to reports.
"This investigation is the Venezuelan government's latest attempt to crack down on critical coverage and silence independent media across the country," said Natalie Southwick, CPJ's Central and South America research associate. "Venezuelan authorities should immediately drop the investigation into El Nacional and stop using repressive laws to harass and censor news outlets."
In its statement, Conatel accused the newspaper of violating the Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television and the Anti-Hate Law for Tolerance and Peaceful Coexistence, a repressive piece of legislation passed last year amid fears it would be used to silence media outlets.
El Nacional Editor Miguel Henrique Otero told CPJ by phone that the newspaper had not been informed exactly which content violated the law, or what the potential sanctions might be. "The government is using Conatel as an instrument to enforce the anti-hate law, and the goal is to silence us," Otero said.
Conatel did not answer CPJ's calls seeking comment.
President Nicolás Maduro was re-elected on May 20 in an electoral process widely viewed as illegitimate in the international community, and that featured widespread abstention among voters, according to reports.
The Maduro government has numerous tools to control and intimidate the media, according to CPJ research. These include a restrictive 2004 press law, state advertisement boycotts, threats to cancel broadcast licences, a monopoly over the importation and distribution of scarce newsprint, and, now, the anti-hate legislation.
El Nacional, one of the country's few remaining independent dailies, has paid a high price for its continued critical reporting. The newspaper has faced a shortage of newsprint, government fines, repeated investigations, and lawsuits, including a defamation charge and travel ban against Otero, who continues to direct the newspaper from exile. – A CPJ News Alert/Photo: AFP
November 05, 2025: PTI’s Faisal Chaudhry’s witty reply to Gharidah Farooqi on GTV’s “G for Gharidah” goes viral as a clip from their debate over the 27th Amendment sparks reactions online.
November 05, 2025: Digital platform Nukta lays off 37 employees in Pakistan, including journalists and producers, highlighting the financial struggles facing new media ventures in a shrinking job market.
November 04, 2025: Talat Hussain denies airing the viral clip showing Sher Afzal Marwat’s vulgar remark, saying it was not part of his Samaa TV show.
November 03, 2025: PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
November 05, 2025 The Pulitzer Center is offering global reporting grants for journalists worldwide, funding high-impact projects on underreported issues with rolling applications in 2025.
November 04, 2025 Journalist Rana Ayyub receives death threats over calls demanding a column on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as CPJ urges swift action to protect journalists in India.
November 04, 2025 TV8 journalist Mariana Rata in Moldova receives a death threat after interviewing politician Renato Usatii on-air, raising concerns about journalist safety.
November 03, 2025 Global journalist unions condemn the Indonesian agriculture minister’s lawsuit against Tempo, calling it a threat to press freedom and demanding that the case be withdrawn.
November 02, 2025 Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.