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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Culture & Society

Venezuelan Media Portal Remains Blocked After Five Years, Editor Appeals for Access

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • El Nacional's president editor, Miguel Henrique Otero, reports the news portal remains blocked in Venezuela after five years.
  • Otero stated the block persists despite the national emergency caused by an earthquake and calls for its removal.
  • He criticized the arbitrary nature of government-ordered blocks, which he claims are often communicated informally.

The Venezuelan news portal El Nacional continues to be blocked, a situation its president editor, Miguel Henrique Otero, says has persisted for five years. Otero confirmed the block remains in place, even amidst a national emergency declared following an earthquake, and despite widespread calls for its lifting.

Completely blocked, along with about 50 other pages and Twitter. Nothing has changed, even though everyone is asking for the block to be lifted.

— Miguel Henrique OteroOtero described the ongoing internet censorship in Venezuela.

"Completely blocked, along with about 50 other pages and Twitter. Nothing has changed, even though everyone is asking for the block to be lifted," Otero stated, describing the current state of access to private media within Venezuela. He directed his appeal for the removal of restrictions primarily towards Venezuelan authorities.

The call must first be made to the government. The government arbitrarily orders the blocking of all web pages. There is no justification.

— Miguel Henrique OteroOtero criticized the Venezuelan government's role in ordering internet blocks.

Otero criticized the method by which internet providers are allegedly ordered to execute blocks. "The call must first be made to the government. The government arbitrarily orders the blocking of all web pages. There is no justification," he said. He further alleged that these orders are often given informally via phone calls, rather than through official written directives from regulatory bodies like Conatel.

These are instructions that are given not even through an official document or through a judge. They do it through phone calls. It is informal communication that Conatel has with the telephone companies and they block everyone.

— Miguel Henrique OteroOtero detailed the alleged informal and arbitrary nature of the blocking orders.

He also addressed the role of telecommunications companies, specifically mentioning Telefónica, which holds a significant market share. Otero argued that such companies should not comply with these orders and, in Telefónica's case, may even be violating European legislation. Otero emphasized the critical role of unrestricted access to digital media and social platforms during emergencies, citing international examples where such access facilitates communication, aid coordination, and the dissemination of verified information.

The private media fulfills functions that the official media never fulfills.

— Miguel Henrique OteroOtero highlighted the distinct and essential role of independent media, especially during crises.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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