RSF hopes referendum to stop "media war" in Venezuela
Reporters without Borders (RSF) Monday said the defeat of President
Hugo Chávez' intended constitutional reform was influenced
by the planned changes to regulations governing press freedom
and hoped the result of the vote to put an end to the "media
war" in Venezuela.
"We are convinced that the result of the polls was directly
influenced by the major issue of the media and the intended
changes to provisions related to press freedom," RSF said in
a communiqué.
The non-governmental organization reminded that Chávez's
intended changes to the Constitution included the possibility
for the President of Venezuela to declare states of emergency
unilaterally and without time restrictions and, if he deemed
it necessary, to suppress press freedom, Efe reported.
The tight vote "echoes the huge divide that is hitting the
Venezuelan society." The result should lead "both the authorities
and the civil society to commit to take part in peaceful,
calm talks about the future of the media and the public freedoms."
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