Faithful to its principle of doing “journalism that illuminates”, Efecto Cocuyo issued the following statement regarding the recent attacks by senior officials against the news site:
Caracas, January 12, 2021
Statement regarding the recent attacks against the right to inform
Since we founded Efecto Cocuyo back in 2015, we have fulfilled our mission of informing, educating and being close to the people. We exercise journalism under ethical principles oriented toward the right of society to be informed. All within the framework of Venezuelan legislation.
The result of this commitment to inform and educate is a matter of public knowledge and free and transparent consultation. Not in vain our slogan reads “Efecto Cocuyo, journalism that illuminates.”
The recent attacks against us and other journalists’ organizations through discrediting, defamation, manipulation, misrepresentation, intimidation and harassment campaigns by senior officials of the Venezuelan government reaffirm a pattern of persecution and criminalization against journalistic work identified with the defense of human rights.
We denounce that these attacks put at risk the workers who honor the mandate of our mission by defending the right to free and timely information of Venezuelan society.
It is the responsibility of the State to guarantee the security and physical integrity of its citizens and the members of the organizations that work in the country.
The report issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, established that there are “restrictions on the civic and democratic space under a ‘ state of alarm ‘ (…). Journalists and human rights defenders critical of the government continue to face intimidation and public defamation.”
Our organization, founded and directed by a team of women journalists, is independent. No institution or entity conditions or intervenes in the editorial line.
To all who have expressed their support and solidarity: thank you. We tell our users that Efecto Cocuyo will continue working for and with the people in the sustained effort of doing more and better journalism.
Translated by José Rafael Medina
