WaPo: As it slides toward authoritarianism, Venezuela targets one of its last independent newspapers

[GatoGordo]

As it slides toward authoritarianism, Venezuela targets one of its last independent newspapers
Rachelle Krygier and Anthony Faiola, The Washington Post Published 3:21 am PDT, Thursday, July 5, 2018

CARACAS, Venezuela — By running stories of official brutality and corruption, this nation’s largest independent newspaper — El Nacional — threatened Venezuela’s mighty and defended its meek. Now the paper has found itself covering perhaps its most crucial story.



Its own fight to stay alive.

A judicial case against the 75-year-old outlet — lodged by one of President Nicolás Maduro’s top lieutenants — coupled with the blocking of its website is threatening the paper’s future. At a time when traditional media is under fire from autocrats around the globe, the intensifying effort against El Nacional illustrates how some governments are going to new lengths to silence dissent.

In Venezuela, the pressure against the paper, experts say, is a sign that the government is ready to effectively shutter what is left of the free press.

“If El Nacional is closed, it would have a grave impact in Venezuelan media,” said Carlos Correa, a university professor and the executive director of Public Space, a Caracas-based nonprofit that tracks press freedoms. “It would signal an escalation of censure and would definitely have a chilling effect on other outlets fearful to go through the same fate.”

Since the rise of leftist firebrand Hugo Chávez, who became president in 1999 and ruled until his death in 2013, press freedoms in Venezuela have been under threat. The state TV channel started airing hours-long presidential speeches and news propaganda. In 2004, Chávez passed a law allowing the official censure of outlets by a state watchdog, CONATEL. A host of television station and newspaper owners were pressured to sell to friends of the government or close their doors.

-snip-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/as-it-slides-toward-authoritarianism-venezuela-targets-one-of-its-last-independent-newspapers/2018/07/03/9cb5fe22-7a2d-11e8-ac4e-421ef7165923_story.html?utm_term=.784d9680a251

Backstory: Venezuelas all-Chavista TSJ (Supreme Court) recently ruled in favor (without so much as a hearing, let alone a trial) of Diosdado Cabello, PSUV party chief, Chavismos #2 man and new head of the all-Chavista ANC. The reason Diosdado sued El National? They reprinted a Spanish news story about allegations (well founded) that Diosdado had connections to drug trafficking. (Maduro's connections are without dispute) Naturally, the TSJ found for Cabello (they haven't ruled against Chavismo EVER) and awarded him 5 billion Bolivars in damages. (which could amount to about $5O in a week). However... the TSJ hasn't decided yet how best to compensate Diosdado. He wants outright ownership of El National, or at least $500,000,000 in damages (officially, the Bolivar exchanges at 10BsF to the USD)

Pablo Escobar's hitman "Popeye" has named Diosdado as the head of the "Cartel de los Soles".

El National is found in digital form only, and is now "blocked" in Venezuela. They have been unable to get newsprint for over 4 years from the State... which happens to control who gets newsprint. Convenient, eh?

[exboyfil]

1. My old debate partner sold his newspaper to Chavez

I never talked to him about it, but I think he was forced to do it. He later became an editor and then publisher of another regional newspaper. He has gone more mainstream now with US media news stories about Venezuela.