SIP calls for press freedom in Cuba and Venezuela

Posted by Carolyn Lo on March 31, 2008 at 12:11 PM

During Sunday congress in Caracas, La Société Interaméricaine de Presse (SIP) attacked Cuba and Venezuela for the lack of press freedom, including the restrictions on the Internet and called for the "unconditional release" of 25 journalists imprisoned in Cuba. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has condemned this as "media terrorism," which he says is a "global evil."

The SIP includes the heads of about 2,000 communication companies and has asked that Cuban blogs remove their locked access and that the government guarantee journalists freedom of press and ensures "respectful treatment" to foreign correspondents. SIP acknowledges that Cuban President Raul Castro's regime has helped "advance some measures" in the communication field.

The SIP congress concluded with a condemnation of Venezuelan government for its "hostile attitude towards the press and Journalists."

"The owners of the means of communication are the richest in the world, many of them are well versed in fascism and terrorism," Chavez said during his weekly television program Hello President.

The Venezuelan authorities had organized a counter-demonstration, Latin American Meeting on Media Terrorism.

Source: AFP