5 opposition journalists tell Washington about 200 HR abuses against colleagues

www.vheadline.com Posted: Sunday, March 02, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Five Venezuelan opposition journalists have made a trip to Washington to highlight 200 alleged human rights abuses committed against the media.

National College of Journalists (CNP) president Levy Benshimol, El Universal journalist Alicia La Rotta, El Nacional deputy editor Sergio Dahbar, Venevision journalist Luis Alfonso Fernandez Rodriguez, and National Press Workers Union (SNP) general secretary and Latin American Journalists Federation coordinator, Gregorio Salazar were accompanied by CNP legal adviser, Primero Justicia (PJ) National Assemblyman, Ramon Jose Medina.

Journalist Alicia La Rotta recalled how a state security uncover agent hit her on the mouth to recover an ID card she had picked up during an anti-government … ”the officer is still free and the case has not been followed through."

La Rotta says she felt afraid many times when she was writing up narco-trafficking stories … "when I asked state security for protection, I got it and felt protected … not any more.”

President Chavez Frias has mentioned her several times during his Sunday radio address, referring to her as an enemy of his government.

Presidential Media Minister Nora Uribe, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) president Ali Rodriguez Araque and Ambassador to the Organization of American states (OAS) Jorge Valero have also been visiting Washington at the same time to defend Venezuelan government policies in the wake of the 2-month opposition sabotage which almost crippled the nation's vital oil industry's capability to supply the United States with crude oil.