Censorship during the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela refers to all actions that can be considered as the suppression of freedom of expression in the country during the revolution. The NGO Reporters Without Borders, in its 2017 annual report, ranked the country 137th out of 180 countries evaluated regarding the degree of press freedom, concluding that since 2010 there have been arbitrary detentions and defamation trials against journalists.
Hugo Chávez (1999−2013)
Reports The Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television (Ley Resorte) was introduced during the Bolivarian Revolution by the body CONATEL (National Telecommunications Commission of Venezuela) in December 2004, in charge of radio and television censorship of a wide range of content. The law includes articles that have been the subject of political controversy. The opposition says that this Law is a "Gag Law" with which the government has effectively censored any critical information about its administration, in addition to severely restricting the freedom of expression of the remaining media.
The NGO Human Rights Watch stated that "during the government of President Chávez and now during the presidency of Nicolás Maduro, the accumulation of power in the executive branch and the erosion of guarantees on human rights have allowed the government to intimidate, censor, and persecute its critics," and reported that broadcasters may be censored if they criticize the government.
The NGO Reporters Without Borders also said in 2013 that the media in Venezuela are "almost totally dominated by the government and its mandatory broadcasts, called 'cadenas'." However, the government says that about 70% of the media, both radio and television, are privately owned (opposed to the governments of Chávez and Maduro), while only 5% are state-owned and the other 25% are community media.
The Association of Argentine Journalistic Entities condemned the censorship suffered by the Argentine channel TN in Venezuela, describing it as a serious act of censorship that worsens the democratic deterioration in Venezuela.
Regarding Internet censorship during the 2014 Venezuelan protests, Reporters Without Borders warned about the "growing censorship of Internet service in Venezuela," which included blocking images from the social network Twitter, the Zello application, and blocking Internet access in the state of Táchira in the west of the country.
Television On 15 February 2004, during the broadcast of the program Aló Presidente, President Hugo Chávez said he was prepared with the Bolivarian National Armed Forces of Venezuela to take Globovisión and Venevisión off the air, calling them conspirators, coup plotters, and terrorists.
Closure of Radio Caracas Televisión
In May 2007, controversies about freedom of the press escalated further with the non-renewal of the free-to-air concession of Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV). A later statement from Reporters Without Borders declared that "RSF condemns the decision of the Supreme Court of Venezuela to dismiss RCTV's appeal against the loss of its license as inadmissible." President Chávez had already said on 28 December 2006 that he would oppose the renewal of the station's broadcasting license, accusing it of having supported the brief coup d'état that ousted him on 11 April 2002, as well as for its role in the 2002–03 oil strike. The appeal, launched on 9 February 2007, was rejected on 18 May, putting an end to any further debate on the matter.
According to the Chávez government, the license expired on 27 May of that same year, and would not last until 2021 as RCTV claimed. However, without waiting for that date or for a related decision by the Supreme Court, on 11 May the president had already signed a decree assigning channel 2's frequency to a new government-owned channel called TVes (Televisora Venezolana Social)."Reporters Without Borders press releases (2007): Americas, Supreme Court rules RCTV's appeal against loss of its license 'inadmissible'", article of 3 January 2007 on RSF website. The government action generated political protests and student demonstrations from then on. RCTV returned to cable operators in July 2007 under the name RCTV Internacional. At the beginning of 2010, due to a violation of the Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television, the government ordered the suspension of RCTV's signal from the country's cable television operators. However, in June of the same year, RCTV returned through satellite systems and also began broadcasting on the Internet with children’s and youth programming.
Globovisión’s difficulties and sale of the channel The relatively young television channel Globovisión, which broadcasts news 24 hours a day and expanded in 1999, owned by Luis Teófilo Núñez Arismendi, Guillermo Zuloaga Núñez, Nelson Mezerhane and Alberto Federico Ravell, was pressured by the Chávez government after the closure of Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) starting in 2008. CONATEL began an administrative process on 27 November for violating the Ley Resorte during the results of the 2008 regional elections by allowing candidate Henrique Salas Feo in the state of Carabobo to call for the takeover of the Regional CNE office during an interview, where the election result was unclear. On 7 May 2009, CONATEL initiated a third administrative process against the channel for reporting on tremors in the capital, accusing it of creating panic among the population. On 5 June 2009, SENIAT fined Globovisión 5.5 million bolívares fuertes (2.3 million dollars), alleging "non-payment of taxes" for broadcasting institutional messages that were not declared during the 2002–2003 national strike. Globovisión successfully carried out the Globopotazo fundraising campaign to pay the fine in record time; however, on 16 June SENIAT raised the fine to 9 million bolívares fuertes. On 4 August, dozens of motorcycle riders wearing red berets surrounded the entrance and attacked the Globovisión offices, subduing the security guards, forcibly entering the ground floor of the building, breaking glass doors and windows, and throwing two tear gas bombs. President Chávez condemned the attack and the pro-government leader Lina Ron, who was detained for two months after the incident. In October 2011, the president of Conatel, Pedro Maldonado Marín, imposed a fine of about US$2.1 million on the channel for its coverage of the prison crisis during the June riot at the El Rodeo prison. Guillermo Zuloaga sent a letter to the channel’s employees confirming the intention to sell and explaining that the channel was economically, politically, and legally unviable. On 14 May 2013, the sale of Globovisión to businessmen Raúl Gorrín, Juan Domingo Cordero and Gustavo Perdomo was finalized.
Closure of radio stations Venezuela has about 699 radio stations nationwide, and it is claimed that between 2002 and 2022, 233 stations were closed. The year 2022 marked the highest number of closures of radio companies by the government.
The term Radiocidio in Venezuela initially referred to the state intervention of 32 radio stations and 2 television stations on 1 August 2009. This measure was ordered by the then director of the National Telecommunications Commission, Diosdado Cabello. The action was perceived as censorship by various non-governmental organizations, unions, and international bodies. The government argued that the closures were due to lack of legal requirements, death of the concession holder, expiration of the concession, or failure to provide updated information on new operators in case of transfers. Among those affected were the Belfort National Circuit and the 102.3 FM CNB station of journalist and president of the National College of Journalists, William Echevarría, which broadcast daily the opinion program Aló, Ciudadano.
Censorship of scientific information Censorship of scientific information in Venezuela, based on the knowledge and expertise of scientists, has increased since the self-proclaimed Bolivarian Revolution (1999– ). Although there were past cases, such as the veiled threat against Luis Razetti by the government of Juan Vicente Gómez in 1924 when he declared during a session of the National Academy of Medicine about the neglect of the children of Caracas, since the arrival of Hugo Chávez to the Presidency (1999), scientists and professionals working in the Public Administration have refrained from making statements to journalists or expressing opinions contrary to the State for fear of reprisals.
This trend was reinforced in 2007 with the creation of a single spokesperson system in research institutes under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Consequently, researchers from autonomous academic institutes such as CIDA and IVIC could not give statements without authorization from the Ministry. This guideline was established by Presidential Decree 5384. Thus, restricting scientific information became a violation of society’s right to information. While scientists could publish research results, their efforts to disseminate data or share expertise on issues related to public welfare were limited, whether through statements to journalists or publications in the media. The following cases illustrate how this policy began even before 2007.
From 2002 onward, the Chávez government gave little space to dissenting opinions and viewed unfavorable information, even from experts within the State, as disloyalty to the regime rather than to society. Nutritionist María de las Nieves García, researcher at IVIC and disciple of Miguel Layrisse, presented the latest results of a study on iron deficiency and anemia in children at a scientific meeting held in Caracas at the Fundación Bengoa on 14–15 March 2005. She found that in samples collected in 2004 by FUNDACREDESA in the states of Guárico, Cojedes and Portuguesa, 70% of children under two years old showed iron deficiency and anemia. Similar results had been observed since 2003 in Caracas. García noted that corn flour distributed by Mercal, the government’s food network, lacked iron fortification, reversing earlier progress in combating anemia. Her findings were later published internally at IVIC and republished by Universia.
Government officials disputed García’s data and questioned her ethics. The Ministry of Science and Technology published a statement criticizing her, and she was denied the chance to publish a response at IVIC. García eventually circulated her version online, receiving only limited support from colleagues.García, 2005; Octavio, 2005 Her ties with FUNDACREDESA ended soon after.
Another case occurred in 2006, when physicist Claudio Mendoza, IVIC researcher, published an article titled "Critical Mass" in El Nacional criticizing Venezuela’s nuclear policy.Mendoza, 2006 The IVIC board quickly rejected his article, demanded evidence, and eventually dismissed him from his laboratory leadership. The debate centered not on his arguments but on his right to free expression. Although supported by colleagues citing Article 57 of the Constitution, Mendoza was sanctioned, with IVIC authorities calling his dismissal a "very mild penalty".Núñez, 2007
Epidemiological alarm