CARACAS, Venezuela — Newspaper executives from across the Americas accused President Hugo Chavez on Saturday of harming media freedoms in Venezuela, warning that he is using “attacks and intimidation” to curb criticism of his government.
The Inter American Press Association opened the second day of its midyear meeting in Caracas with stinging criticism of Venezuela’s stance toward the media, even as Chavez supporters attended a parallel, government- organized “Latin American Meeting on Media Terrorism” just a few blocks away.
IAPA delegates cited Chavez’s threats to close down Globovision — one of two Venezuelan TV channels that remain critical of his government — while faulting the socialist leader for severely restricting the independent media’s access to government information and sources.
