The Government of Venezuela suspended on Monday for 48 hours the official transfer of journalists to La Guairathe area most affected by last week’s double earthquake, a decision that was justified for operational and health reasons to facilitate rescue efforts. However, the measure was questioned by the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP), who warned that preventing reporting on the ground limits access to verified information in the midst of the worst seismic tragedy that the country has experienced in a century and revives the debate on the restrictions on journalistic practice that Chavismo usually exercises.

The SNTP reacted on its X social network account to indicate that preventing reporting on the ground does not resolve the emergency. “As the hours go by, the health situation may worsen and the country needs verified and timely information, especially the families of the victims,” the union remarked.

Access controlled by the State

Before the transfer of journalists is suspended, the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Hair, had reported that Access to La Guaira, declared a disaster area, was strictly limited to accredited personnel. He said that journalists who want to enter the state must be accredited at the Caracas Polyhedronabout 58 km away.

The Univision journalist Paulina Sodiwho covers the emergency in Venezuelaexplained in a video that on Saturday, June 27 The Government summoned journalists from national and international media to provide their personal data and have them incorporated into an official registry.

“They asked us for our passport number, our work credentials, they asked us for our blood type, contact numbers, emails, and in the case of the international press they told us that they were going to send us a visa. They gave us these bracelets, which we have to wear until the day we leave the country and we were informed that from this moment on we will only be able to enter the disaster sites through those trucks that the government is going to provide. If it is not through those trucks we cannot enter.”he detailed.

Sodi added that The authorities established two daily schedules to board official vehicles, with limited spaces.

“They are going to take us to disaster zones. These are the conditions,” he pointed out.

Journalists denounce limitations for coverage

IPYS Venezuela denounced that the limitations on mobility, the hours to enter and remain in the disaster zone and transfers organized exclusively by the State make it difficult to carry out independent coverage and the direct verification of information on damage, rescues and the situation of the communities.

The Venezuelan cameraman Guillermo Suarezfrom the channel Al Jazeera, told IPYS Venezuela that the authorities informed foreign correspondents that they could only enter the affected areas as part of the transfers organized by the State. He explained that They were told that the international press could not travel on their own due to access restrictions established for the disaster area.

On June 28, the British journalist Catherine Ellis reported in X that the departure of the buses, scheduled for 8:00 in the morning, suffered delays of several hours. He indicated that when he asked the reason for the delay they told him that the group was waiting for the arrival of the Vice Minister of Communication, who would accompany the tour.

Ellis also expressed concern that the initial schedule called for a return around 12:00 noon, which significantly reduced the time available for reporting. He later noted that The authorities told them that they could move freely within La Guaira once they arrived at the place, as long as they returned to the bus at the time established for their return.

Harassment complaints