Report Denouces Declining Press Freedom in Venezuela - by Frances

On Sunday in Colorado, the Venezuelan Press Bloc submitted a report saying that there have been events in the past six months that are evidence to the deterioration of press freedom in Venezuela. Some of these events are: attacks on journalists and news organizations; restrictions on importations of products to make newspapers with; the government withdrawal from the Inter-American Human Rights System; the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro's, call for a law that allows him to make laws for a year; several incidences of buying and selling news media; an increase of lawsuits against news media that are privately owned; the difficulty of newspapers getting newsprint; the Venezuelan Attorney General's Office ordering an investigation of a so-called "false headline" about the country's supply of gasoline; and the creation of a new organization, Cesppa (Strategic Center for Homeland Security and Protection), that may be able to censor information that's perceived as a threat to the country. The report called these "severe attacks on freedom of expression".

It's curious how an article about the decline of press freedom in Venezuela is being produced in Venezuela, but maybe since it's one of the few extremely famous South American papers in English as well as Spanish or Portuguese, it is being influenced more by international writers and producers. However, this article never actually states any opinion other than the report's, so maybe there is some editing being done by the government. I don't know much about the status of governments and politics in Latin America, but I am aware that there have been difficulties over the years with giving citizens a voice. This probably affects my understanding and influences me to believe that what the article is saying is correct, and there is a deterioration of press freedom occurring in Venezuela. This article was probably written to protest the creation of Cesppa, as others are also expressing their concerns about it, since that founding is the main argument the article makes. I disagree with the goal of Cesppa. If the country is going to function in today's world, the government and its people need to be fully aware of all current events and both praises and criticisms.