Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela C/o Mr Alvaro Sanchez, Chargé d’Affaires 1 Cromwell Road London SW7 2HW United Kingdom Tel: 020 7584 4206/ 020 7581 2776 Fax: 020 7589 8887 Email: [email protected]

28 February 2014

Re: Violations of freedom of expression and information in the context of ongoing public protests in Venezuela

Dear Ambassador,

I write to Your Excellency as Chair of the Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International, the global writers’ association spanning more than 100 countries, to express serious concern about ongoing violations of human rights in Venezuela, in particular the right to freedom of expression.

According to information we have received, there have been numerous threats and attacks against journalists and reporters covering the public protests in Venezuela that began on 12 February 2014. We understand that some of these demonstrations are being violently repressed, with at least 13 deaths to date and numerous reports of injuries, ill treatment and arbitrary detention. In many cases, the perpetrators are police officers, members of the armed forces or civil armed groups supporting the government.

These protests and human rights abuses have gone uncovered by the majority of national media outlets due to governmental pressure and fear of retaliation. Over the last few years, the National Commission on Telecommunications (CONATEL) has been developing a policy of vigilance and punishment of media outlets with editorial lines which are not favourable to the government. On 11 February, CONATEL General Director William Castillo criticized some media outlets’ coverage of the violence, classifying the content as hate speech and stating that these outlets would be sanctioned. This environment is making it extremely difficult for the media in Venezuela to freely transmit information about current events.

Moreover, the independent press in the country has been seriously affected by the dearth of foreign currency which is required to buy newsprint and other essential supplies for printing. Due to monetary exchange controls, several special authorizations are required in order to acquire foreign currency legally. The government has created numerous obstacles to the independent press obtaining foreign currency in order to buy necessary supplies. This has led to the temporary closure of at least nine newspapers and problems with circulation and reduction in the number of pages, editions and print runs for at least 22 publications.

The government has also ordered – in an authoritarian manner and with no judicial process – the Colombian television news channel NTN24 to be taken off the air and has barred it from being

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shown on cable television in Venezuela. NTN24 was one of the few media outlets that were independently transmitting news about public protests in the country. The government has additionally ordered that the NTN24 website be blocked from Venezuela. It has also arbitrarily blocked access to images on Twitter and imposed other similar restrictions on the internet within the country. Moreover, the government has banned CNN en Español from being broadcast on Venezuelan cable television services. Such international media and social media networks are an essential source of information for Venezuelans, due to censorship within the national media.

All these political decisions have led to serious problems in terms of freedom of expression and information, with each such decision reducing the space for expression and increasing repression for dissenting voices. These problems are made worse in a context of high political tension and serious repression by government employees.

Consequently, we ask that the Venezuelan government respect human rights in the country, in particular the right to freedom of expression and information; specifically we ask it to:

1. Put an end to all threats and attacks against journalists and media outlets in Venezuela;

2. Ensure that any such threats and attacks against journalists and media outlets are promptly and thoroughly investigated, and the perpetrators are brought to justice;

3. Allow national and international media to disseminate information freely within the country, including reports critical of the government, without fear of reprisal or repression from any governmental body;

4. Facilitate the procedures by which independent print media can acquire foreign currency in order to buy newsprint and other essential supplies needed for their publications.

I thank Your Excellency in advance for your attention and look forward to your response.

If you have any questions, please contact PEN International’s Americas researcher, Tamsin Mitchell, at [email protected]

Yours faithfully,

Marian Botsford Fraser Chair, Writers in Prison Committee PEN International