Given the closure of at least 9 local stations by order of Conatel (Venezuela’s telecommunications regulator), between September and October 2022, in the border municipality of Junín in Táchira State, the members of the Municipal Council demand a response to the agreement that was delivered to the competent authorities, since Conatel maintains the citizens of this region without any media to inform themselves.
By La Patilla – Luz Dary Depablos
Mar 18, 2023
Danny Carrillo, President of the Communications Commission of the Junín municipal council, urged Conatel officials to give a prompt and timely response. “They have affected the communicational, technological, informative, recreational and promotional development of the products and services of the commercial premises of our municipality,” he indicated.
Mr.Carrillo reported that the majority of the Junín councilors approved a resolution demanding of Conatel, “that broadcasters be given due process and the right to defense in this situation, that the possibility to continue operating not be closed, but above all the possibility for citizens to be informed and entertained.”
As a consequence of these arbitrary closures in the Junín border municipality, “there are no spaces with newscasts that talk about Venezuela, which is the Social Responsibility Radio and Television as law itself requires, with our music, with Venezuelan music, with cultural and folkloric development of our nation,” he said.
He said that when they visit communities they find citizens listening to radio stations from the sister country, Colombia, which in his opinion “attempts not only against national sovereignty, but also our culture, against the information that we citizens of this municipality should get.”
He denounced that there is no broadcaster operating in the municipality and only two community-based stations remained. In addition to emphasizing, “without intending to affect them because these are families that are working, but they are not doing any community work, that there are no spaces that open the doors and microphones for those who wish to inform or address the citizens, they totally the opposite of what a community station is, it is more commercial than even those that have permits.”
Likewise, more than 100 people (directly and indirectly) were left without income when they lost their jobs and many of them had dedicated themselves to radio for more than 25 years.
He recalled that in this municipality a station operated clandestinely and at that time it was denounced by ONG “Fundaredes” for producing indoctrination content by irregular armed groups and although Fundaredes provided the coordinates, there was no pronouncement by Conatel.
“So what is this for? Could it be because of the fact that this year there are primary elections? Could it be that because presidential elections are coming, we are going to begin to curtail the right for our people to listen to the various electoral offers?” questioned the President of the Municipal Council, who assured that they still do not know the reasons why the stations are closed in this municipality.
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