Dear Friends,

Since Maduro’s reelection as president of Venezuela the 28 July 2024, RSF found at least 70 violations of press freedom in only 15 days which shows the government's determination to limit public debate. National and international journalists are facing a climate of hostility and repression marked by arbitrary arrests, threats, physical attacks, censorship and restrictions on information access. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly condemns these violations and demands immediate restoration of journalists’ rights.

Political instability grows in Venezuela amidst allegations of electoral fraud, but the episodes of attack against the press are not new. Over the last decade, Nicolas Maduro’s regime has been working towards reinforcing the state’s hegemony in the mediatic landscape while reducing the space for independent journalism. The two mandates of Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013, have been marked by a true hecatomb of independent journalism and mediatic pluralism. More than 200 radio stations and more than ten television channels have had their signal stopped by the National Commission for telecommunications. Regarding the press, since the beginning of Maduro’s presidency, over a hundred of titles ceased to be published due to the monopoly on paper importations and printing supplies. Online media has not been spared : between January and October 2023 only, Maduro’s government blocked access to 48 information websites.

Without you, RSF could not achieve this work of documentation of press freedom violation and help the journalists who are victims of harassment and repression all over the world. It is your donations that make our action possible. Thank you for your valuable help.