CNP demanded respect for the work of journalists during the presidential elections

• The union stressed the need for press workers to be able to cover the elections without suffering threats, attacks or arrests | Photo: EFE

The president of the National College of Journalists (CNP), Tinedo Guía, urged Venezuelan authorities to respect the work of journalists in view of the presidential elections on July 28.

Guía stressed that it is necessary that in this contest communicators be able to practice their profession without threats, attacks or arrests.

“We ask the authorities once once more to respect the work of journalists and to take care not only of their physical integrity, but also of the equipment that allows them to do their work,” the journalist said in a press conference on August 19.

#Live | “We as democrats ask the authorities and the population to protect, care for, and respect the constitutional principles of freedom of expression and the law on the exercise of journalism,” @TinedoGuiapdte. CNP. #VPItv: https://t.co/tapy9fcvea pic.twitter.com/GOoR3wC8GD

— VPItv (@VPITV) July 19, 2024

For her part, Delvalle Canelón, secretary of the CNP, emphasized that no State official can force a person to hand over his or her cell phone, since it is a “private instrument.”

“We must defend our rights. The CNP will be active on July 28 and 29 to report any abnormal situation that may arise with journalists. We hope that the work will be as transparent and useful as possible so that Venezuela is informed,” he added.

Canelón warned regarding the lack of accreditation cards from the National Electoral Council (CNE) so that journalists can be identified during the elections on July 28.

Photo: Pixabay

“It is a concern. We have been making arrangements (…) but they still have the CNP card that endorses them as media workers,” he explained.

Blocking websites

At the press conference, Marco Ruiz, secretary general of the college, reported that through the VE Sin Filtro platform they have registered at least four blockages, most of them once morest digital pages that allow verification of information.

In light of this situation, Ruiz stressed that fake news and misinformation are generated during electoral processes.

“We have proven that there are factories of lies surrounding electoral processes, especially such as this one in which all Venezuelans are called, which looks so competitive and in which there seems to be a real chance of victory over another,” he added.

The CNP detailed that the pages that were blocked during the electoral campaign are Cazadores de Fake News, Proyecto es Paja, the Venezuelan Observatory of Fake News, the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and the organization Public space.

Photo: Medianalysis

“We have seen the reduction of digital civic space and it is important to remember that human rights must also be guaranteed on the Internet. We have been able to see the harassment through social networks, insults and persecution once morest journalists and media outlets,” he stressed.

Digital media shutdowns in 2023

IPYS reported in its 2023 annual Digital Rights Report, entitled Algorithms of Silence, that last year there were 46 blocks to web portals and 128 violations of digital rights.

Some of the portals that suffered blockages were El Diario, El Carabobeño and the Venezuelan Financial Observatory (OVF) through the main Internet service providers in the country (ISP) which are CANTV, Movistar, Digitel, Inter, NetUno and Supercable.

Union demands

On July 4, the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) demanded that the Venezuelan government and other political actors guarantee journalistic coverage during the electoral campaign for the presidential elections on July 28.

“In light of the incidents documented in previous proceedings and the most recent cases of persecution, prosecution and attacks once morest journalists, the STNP urges both political actors and state institutions to guarantee plural, broad, timely and safe coverage for journalists and the media,” the union wrote in a statement.

Courtesy / EFE

The union called for the safety of journalists and for the protection of the physical and professional integrity of communicators during election coverage.

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

Related news