Venezuelan Media Freedom Report Presented to Opposition Negotiators

Miguel Henrique Otero, editor-in-chief of El Nacional newspaper, has presented a comprehensive report to Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 elected National Assembly, detailing the systematic persecution and closure of media outlets in Venezuela. The report, delivered in Madrid, aims to incorporate the documented aggressions against media and communicators into the ongoing negotiation agenda, advocating for the full restoration of freedom of expression.

The document systematically outlines the closure of radio stations, the economic strangulation of print newspapers, arbitrary website blockages, the exile of journalists, and opaque media sales to government-linked groups. Otero, also the regional vice president for Venezuela of the Inter American Press Association (SIP), stated that the report covers the period from 1999 to August 2026. He provided a physical copy of the main document and conclusions, with supplementary materials to be sent digitally.

The report highlights a significant contraction of the media landscape under the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. This included measures by the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel), the revocation of licenses, confiscation of transmitters, exclusion of channels from cable TV, control over newsprint, and digital censorship. Specifically, the report documents the closure of 297 radio stations, the disappearance of over 100 newspapers, and the blocking of 62 digital portals.

The SIP has requested that the opposition delegation ensure independent, objective, and transparent verification of the facts presented in the report. This verification process is intended to guarantee due process and establish accountability for the state of the information ecosystem in Venezuela. The report details the impact on radio, including systematic closures and specific events like the "radiocide" in 2009 and the 2025 pressures on FM Center. It also notes the severe impact on print media, with over 100 dailies ceasing publication.