Depredador

Nicolás MADURO

23 de noviembre de 1962

Presidente de Venezuela desde 2013

Depredador desde que llegó al poder

Venezuela, 148°/180 en la Clasificación Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MÉTODO DE DEPREDACIÓN: censura y asfixia económica sabiamente orquestadas

Desde 2017, la deriva autoritaria del gobierno de Maduro contra la prensa independiente no da tregua. Las detenciones arbitrarias y la violencia contra los periodistas por parte de los servicios policiales y de inteligencia venezolanos van en aumento. La Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Conatel) despoja de sus frecuencias de emisión a las radios y televisiones demasiado críticas, y coordina los cortes de internet, el bloqueo de las redes sociales y la confiscación de equipos. La mayoría de los periódicos impresos de la oposición no ha resistido estas presiones. Los medios en línea, por su parte, se enfrentan a reiterados ataques informáticos, lo que hace que su trabajo de información sea extremadamente complicado y costoso. En cuanto a los periodistas extranjeros, se les detiene, interroga y expulsa periódicamente del territorio. Desde 2018, muchos periodistas venezolanos también se han visto obligados a abandonar el país para huir de las amenazas y salvaguardar su integridad física.

OBJETIVOS PREDILECTOS: la prensa privada, el diario El Nacional

Más de un centenar de medios han cerrado desde la llegada al poder de Nicolás Maduro. Entre ellos se cuenta el emblemático periódico El Nacional, fundado en 1943, que dejó de circular en su edición impresa en diciembre de 2018. La versión digital se mantiene, por lo que sigue siendo un objetivo prioritario del gobierno. El 14 de mayo de 2021, fue tomada su sede y la justicia ordenó a la gerencia el pago de 13 millones de dólares (unos 11 millones de euros) en concepto de indemnización, tras una demanda por difamación interpuesta por Diosdado Cabello, diputado, vicepresidente del Partido Socialista Unificado de Venezuela y una de las principales figuras del poder chavista. Esto puede costarle a El Nacional todos sus bienes en el país, ya que puede quedarse sin sus oficinas y sin todos sus bienes en Venezuela. En 2021, el gobierno acusó a muchas ONG y medios independientes -como los digitales Efecto Cocuyo, Caraota Digital, El Pitazo y la emisora Radio Fe y Alegría, de ser “mercenarios del periodismo” financiados desde el extranjero para hacer caer al gobierno.

DISCURSO OFICIAL: la difamación paranoica

“Buena parte de la guerra mediática a la que es sometida Venezuela en el mundo tiene como objetivo que nadie se acerque a Venezuela, que nadie venga a invertir, siendo Venezuela el mejor país del mundo para las inversiones”. (Discurso público por el lanzamiento de la “Marca País”, una iniciativa para promover el turismo y las exportaciones y mostrar “la verdad del país”, el 11 de febrero de 2019).

“Denuncio la campaña internacional que lidera CNN en español, que es un laboratorio de mentiras, de guerra psicológica y de guerra contra el país, contra Venezuela; por el canal de televisión basura financiado por el paramilitar [Álvaro] Uribe, NTN24, y por el Miami Herald, o llamado Nuevo Herald, depositario de todas las mentiras contra Venezuela. (…) [Medios] que están envenenados, llenos de odio, de rabia y de locura, y tratan de envenenar y lanzar su veneno sobre Venezuela y el mundo. (Discurso pronunciado en la inauguración de 80 viviendas en Caricuao, Caracas, el 18 de septiembre de 2014).