Versión Español
EspañolSince the evening of Monday, January 27, PanAm Post readers and contributors in Venezuela have contacted the outlet and expressed concerns that they’ve not been able to access the site — that it has been censored. As of this morning, staff members have confirmed that the website is not available to many people in various parts of the country, while it is running smoothly outside Venezuela.
@PanAmPost_es Algunas notas están bloqueadas.
— Lerida Ruiz (@lerida1510) January 28, 2014
That the regime in control of one of the world’s most oppressed nations has blocked access to this independent media outlet — albeit in a targeted, limited manner — may not be surprising. PanAm staff have made a concerted effort to document and make known the regime’s corruption, authoritarianism, economic obstructionism, and alliances with totalitarian regimes such as Cuba. That includes severe currency controls, rapid inflation, labor mandates, arbitrary price interventions, and a line of Orwellian agencies.
To date, regime officials have not contacted PanAm staff, nor have they charged the outlet with any crime or pointed out any factual errors. Since opening the outlet in 2013, the mission has been “for truth and liberty,” and the site’s various commenting platforms have allowed free speech, including from readers in vigorous opposition.
This occurrence of censorship is in line with other outlets that have suffered at the hands of the Venezuelan regime, including Bit.ly, RadioNeXX.com, and El Diario de Cuba. For now, people are able to circumvent the censorship by concealing their IP addresses, and TunnelBear offers such a service.
Update, 11:30 a.m. EST: the block on the PanAm Post is not universal, and we are working swiftly to narrow down and identify the specific access points.
Update, 11:43 a.m. EST: the block has been confirmed by users of the Inter and CANTV Aba internet service providers, both by contributors to and readers of the publication.
