Maduro slammed international news agencies, labelling them as “rubbish”, during a political rally on 9 July in La Guaira state, northern of the country. “Every day these agencies come out with a lie or two,” the President and candidate for re-election said in front of hundreds of people. Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Venezuela on 28 July.
The IFJ has joined its Spanish affiliate, the Federation of Spanish Journalists’ Associations (FAPE), in standing in solidarity with slammed international news agencies, and highlighted the critical and rigorous informative work they carry out across the world, including in Venezuela.
The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela, an affiliate of the IFJ, reacted to the statements describing them as a "hate speech, which stigmatises the work of journalists.”
IFJ Deputy General Secretary Tim Dawson said: “It is always alarming when there are statements that target the media, but even more so when they come from a president and candidate for re-election. We urge the Venezuelan President to cease his verbal attacks against international news agencies that are covering the national election campaign, and let them do their job, which is vital in the current political context”.