SNTP to Diosdado Cabello: 'We demand respect for the work of the press'

Venezuela's National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) has rejected statements made by Interior, Justice, and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello, who targeted journalists and media outlets for their coverage of the double earthquake emergency on June 24. The union demanded "respect for the work of the press and an end to the stigmatization of journalists and media."

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We demand respect for the work of the press and an end to the stigmatization of journalists and media.

The SNTP questioned Cabello's decision to disqualify and stigmatize national and international media for the information they disseminated following the disaster. "These kinds of accusations from high authorities fuel a climate of hostility against the press and can increase the risks for those carrying out informational work on the ground," the union warned.

Cabello had accused journalists and media of disseminating false information about the earthquake's consequences during his program "Con el Mazo Dando." The ruling party leader claimed Venezuela faced a "terrible media war, miserable, a denaturalized, sick media war" while addressing the damage caused by the natural disaster.

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These kinds of accusations from high authorities fuel a climate of hostility against the press and can increase the risks for those carrying out informational work on the ground.

In response, the SNTP reminded authorities that covering emergencies and documenting their effects are core responsibilities of journalists. The union asserted that giving a voice to victims is protected by freedom of expression and the public's right to receive information. They urged officials to cease targeting those performing informational duties during the seismic emergency.

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It is the first case in the world that a country that suffers a tragedy of this nature has to fight against the consequences of that tragedy and fight against a terrible media war, miserable, a denaturalized, sick media war.