The Latin American human rights commission, the Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH), has publicly condemned Venezuela for closing down over 50 media companies over the last year, including several TV stations.
Its report follows the closure of Caracol TV and RCN, which were removed from Venezuelan pay-TV operators on 25 August, as well as the switch-off of CNN and NTN 24 earlier this year.“As reported by various organisations, at least 49 radio stations and five international TV channels have been removed from the market during 207 following governmental orders,” stated the CIDH in the report.
The commission has used the report to remind the Venezuelan Government and telecom authority, Conatel, that any freedom of speech restriction has to be proved and cannot be used as a punishment for maintaining a specific editorial policy.
“Even though the State has the right to manage the radioelectric spectrum, it has to be done in accordance with basic human rights, such as freedom of speech,” concluded the report.
Through its statement, the CIDH is backing up Venezuela’s Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa, which has complained about the decreasing freedom of the press in the country.
