SNTP reports that La Verdad de Vargas' Instagram account was deactivated

The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela (SNTP) has denounced the deactivation of the Instagram account belonging to the media outlet La Verdad de Vargas. The account, which boasts over 600,000 followers, is currently inaccessible.

According to the SNTP's statement on X, the measure was implemented on Friday night and appears to stem from a copyright claim. The claim relates to a video featuring images of Simón Bolívar International Airport. This video gained significant circulation on June 24, the same day the region experienced earthquakes.

The SNTP highlighted that such actions can be weaponized to remove media outlets from circulation. They suggested that false or malicious reports can be filed, thereby infringing upon the public's right to information. This deactivation occurs at a time when the state of La Guaira, where the airport is located, has been a focal point of news due to the earthquakes, leaving the region without one of its primary information channels.

The union has formally demanded the immediate reinstatement of the deactivated account. Furthermore, they called upon Meta, the parent company of Instagram, to conduct more rigorous reviews of copyright claims. This, they argue, is crucial to prevent such mechanisms from being exploited to undermine journalistic work and silence critical reporting.