At least 10 media outlets have been blocked so far during the election campaign

• VE Sin Filtro reported that the media As Is, The Stimulus, Medianalysis; and Analytics restrictions were imposed on access to information | Main photo: VE Sin Filtro

The non-governmental organization (NGO) VE Sin Filtro has counted that at least 10 digital media outlets have been blocked so far during the electoral campaign (since July 4, 2024).

The NGO shared the information on Monday, July 22, after reporting that its website was also blocked, after exposing several restrictions on digital media in Venezuela.

“After 10 years of denouncing Internet censorship and the active blocking of hundreds of websites, especially media outlets and non-governmental organizations, on July 22, the main operators blocked our domain vesinfiltro⸱com,” reads the NGO’s post on X (formerly Twitter).

🚨They blocked us on the Internet🚨

After 10 years of denouncing Internet censorship and the active blocking of hundreds of websites, especially media outlets and non-governmental organizations, on July 22 the main operators blocked… pic.twitter.com/NDwESpjeVy

— VE sin Filtro (@vesinfiltro) July 22, 2024

The organization demanded that the Venezuelan authorities stop this type of Internet blocking, because, in the opinion of VE Sin Filtro, it is a violation of human rights.

The NGO also detected restrictions on news portals on Monday As is, Medianalisis y The Stimulus.

The NGO clarified that they do not have the exact time of the beginning of the blockade. However, they confirmed that it occurred on July 22 on the main Internet operators: CANTV, Movistar, Digitel, NetUno and Inter.

The organization also specified that the blocking of Medianalisis appears on screen in the following ways:

-Digitel:DNS

-Movistar: HTTP/HTTPS

-CANTV: DNS o  + HTTPS

-Inter: DNS

-NetUno: DNS

“According to measurements, the blockage began around 12 noon on Monday at the main Internet operators: CANTV, Movistar, Digitel, NetUno and Inter,” the NGO said.

The organization reported that The Stimulus This is the second blockade of the day and the eighth in the 16 days of the electoral campaign.

Another digital media outlet that was blocked was RunRunesWeb, the third portal with impact of the day and the ninth since the start of the electoral campaign.

In addition, at approximately 12:00 pm, a block was imposed on the Analytics portal on CANTV, Movistar, Digitel, NetUno and Inter.

The Venezuelan Observatory of Fake News and the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) They also reported incidents on July 12 and 13, respectively.

“We reject this restriction that limits our work in defense of press freedom and access to information. Four information or verification portals have been blocked since the beginning of the electoral campaign on Thursday (July 4),” IPYS said on July 13.

Photo: Medianalysis

Journalists’ union speaks out against blockades

Both the National College of Journalists and the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) have spoken out against the blocking of digital media outlets during the election campaign.

On July 19, CNP president Tinedo Guía urged the State to respect and guarantee the work of journalists while covering the elections. He also demanded that the authorities not impose more methods of censorship such as blocking news portals.

The CNP explained that the pages that were blocked during the electoral campaign were Cazadores de Fake News, Proyecto es Paja, the Venezuelan Observatory of Fake News, IPYS and the organization Espacio Público.

For its part, the SNTP issued a document on July 4 in which it called for the physical and professional integrity of social communicators.

“Authorities must act with diligence in the event of events that compromise security and prevent any type of aggression or intimidation,” the document reads.

Climate of censorship

The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned on July 4 of a “climate of censorship” at the start of the electoral campaign in Venezuela.

“In Venezuela, the presidential election campaign is taking place in a climate of censorship. Over the past decade, the regime of Nicolás Maduro has worked to shore up state hegemony in the media landscape, while reducing the space for independent journalism,” RSF said.

How to combat the blockade?

To combat the blockade imposed on digital media, the NGO Conexión Segura y Libre launched the application in June 2024 Unfiltered Newswith the aim of providing Venezuelans with an uncensored information window.

Marco Ruiz, coordinator of communions of the NGO, assured in a press conference that the app Its mission is to safeguard the human rights of Venezuelans, especially the right to freedom of the press and expression.

We built this application for the country without filters, for the country of the future, of democracy, where the rights of all are recognized,” said the representative of the NGO on News Without Filter.

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Ruiz explained that, so far, the 12 digital media outlets that make up the platform have been victims of blockages and censorship. In addition, the app can be used without needing a VPN.

The representative of the organization added that the application will help prevent hoaxes and misinformation during the presidential elections on July 28, 2024.

“We are called to an electoral process where the possibility of reporting without obstacles is difficult. In addition, this will be the most competitive electoral process and must occur with the least possible restrictions on the media,” concluded Ruiz.

Unfiltered News is free and currently available for Android operating systems.

Another option is to use the free VPN from the Swiss platform Proton, which will be available to Venezuelans until one day after the presidential elections.

“We made free ProtonVPN servers available in Venezuela ahead of the country’s election on July 28. We want to ensure that everyone has free and unrestricted access to information and prevent potential interference attempts or disinformation campaigns,” Proton’s post reads.

The team of The newspaper He took the test on July 20 and downloaded the app on a mobile device and confirmed that it is available.

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