Representatives of a regional telecommunications office denounced an attack by journalists

On Wednesday August 28, 2013, a group of journalists and students of the Universidad del Zulia (LUZ) concentrated outside the headquarters in Maracaibo -capital of Zulia state- of the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel), an executive organism. The concentration was to protest peacefully due to the ousting of cable operators of local channel Global TV since August 25. Based on a press release, Conatel representatives denounced that the headquarters were attacked by the protesters. This situation was refuted by representatives of the National College of Journalists.

Nikary González, the national vice-president of the National College of Journalists (CNP), Leonardo Pérez, secretary of the CNP-Zulia and Letty Vázquez of the regional team were at the head of this activity in front of Conatel. They described to IPYS Venezuela that the young persons had headboards which read “Do Not Take My Control Away From Me”, “Do Not Mess With my Media”, rejecting the withdrawal of the signal of Global TV from the scheduling grid of cable TV services, which has its dial in open and public signal in that state.

“We arrived at 10 a.m. and went with the social communication students and representatives of LUZ. At the site were the media who had been covering the activity, who were on the sidewalk. Once we gave our statements, Leonardo Pérez went with a representation of students and knocked on the door but it was closed. The Conatel employees did not open”, so the request they formulated was not received.

Pérez asked about the regional representative of Conatel, journalist Hébert Colina. They told him that he was not in his office. González clarified that “they never assaulted anybody nor did they cause any damage to the headquarters. They only stuck the headboards with tape to the door of the Conatel office”.

For this reason, González refuted the information published by the state newspaper El Correo del Orinoco which in a note stated that allegedly the Conatel office employees had been assaulted. “Some employees, who preferred to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to give statements, stated that the students, the secretary of the CNP and other directors of the College of Journalists violently attempted to enter the government facilities. They hit on the windows and wanted to forcefully enter, and they finally stuck close to 20 cartels at the entrance of the office”.

Ipys attempted to contact Hébert Colina. He was phoned on several opportunities but the call was not answered.

Global TV was removed from the cable operators last Sunday August 25th. It was disclosed that the media directors are engaging in conversations to try to solve this situation. Two days later, the media withdrew its information and opinion programs, while it still continues to air through open signal channels.

So far, there has been no official response to this suspension.

Label: intimidation