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7 Geo. J. Int'l Aff. 25 (2006)
Media Crackdown: Chavez and Censorship

handle is hein.journals/geojaf7 and id is 29 raw text is: Mobilizing Media Media Crack~down Chdvez and Censorship Roger Atwood In December 2006 Venezuelan President Hugo Chivez will be seeking reelection in one of the most restrictive legal cli- mates for press freedom in Latin America.' Laws enacted since late 2004 by the Venezuelan Congress, where Chivez's party and its allies hold a solid majority of seats, have sharply reduced the latitude with which Venezuelan media can report on political figures in their country and have strengthened the central government's power to fine or imprison journal- ists and close down news outlets. The new statutes, with dra- conian punishments for offenders, run contrary to the trend throughout Latin America of liberalizing press laws and widening space for debate and editorial opinion. This arti- cle will review the new legal restrictions on the media, describe their effects so far, and offer some predictions as to their impact on debate in the upcoming presidential cam- paign and beyond. One of the new laws' key elements is a reform of the penal code to fortify so-called insult laws, which bar any potential criticism of high public officials. Another law dictates content on television and radio broadcasts. While the new laws appear aimed at encouraging reporters and opinion writers to restrain themselves in what they write or broadcast, the legis- lation also gives authorities wide discretion to punish-if Roger Atwood was a Knight International Press Fellow in Venezuela in 2005. He is author of StealinglHisto- g and a Visiting Researcher at George- town University's Cen- ter for Latin American Studies. Winter/Spring 2006 [25]

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