Venezuela: 26 freedom of expression violations reported in July

The NGO Espacio Público reported 26 violations of freedom of expression in Venezuela during July. The month was characterized by intimidation and censorship, particularly following the emergency state declared after earthquakes on June 24.

Out of 18 identified victims, 14 were journalists or reporters, accounting for approximately 77.78% of the total. Security forces were responsible for half of the recorded cases, while public officials were implicated in four instances. The regions of Distrito Capital and La Guaira accounted for 60% of the incidents.

The report highlights a pattern of official rhetoric aimed at delegitimizing journalistic work. For example, acting president Delcy Rodríguez used the term ‘media laboratories’ to dismiss citizen reports regarding the state's earthquake response. Additionally, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello described foreign media coverage in La Guaira and Caracas as a ‘media war.’ In Monagas, Governor Ernesto Luna requested that local media suspend all information related to the earthquakes for 15 days.