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Venezuela restores access to news sites blocked for years

Venezuela

Readers in Venezuela can once again reach several national and international news websites that had been blocked for years, following a September 17 announcement by telecommunications regulator Conatel.

Digital rights group VE Sin Filtro verified access to 17 websites through several internet providers. AFP reporters also confirmed that El Nacional, Efecto Cocuyo and El Pitazo were accessible. For readers, this means some reporting can now be reached without a virtual private network, or VPN, previously needed to bypass the restrictions.

The blocks had made it harder for newsrooms to reach audiences and stay afloat. Víctor Amaya, director of Tal Cual, said the site had lost 60% of its traffic after being blocked in July 2024, while advertisers withdrew fearing sanctions from the authorities.

The reopening coincided with a second round of talks between the government and part of the opposition, with freedom of expression on the agenda. But access remains uneven: some outlets reported intermittent availability, and VE Sin Filtro still counted at least 188 blocked websites, including 79 news outlets. Opposition delegation leader Dinorah Figuera welcomed the change as a first step, while calling for all outlets to return fully and permanently.

Sources

  1. CNN EspañolVenezuela levanta el bloqueo a algunos medios digitales para "promover la libre expresión" | CNN
  2. La Libre.beLe Venezuela débloque des portails d'information censurés depuis des années

Reporting notes

Where this came from

AFP

La Libre.be explicitly attributes access checks and interviews to AFP and ends with an AFP copyright notice.

VE Sin Filtro → AFP

The AFP dispatch published by La Libre.be attributes verification of access to 17 sites and the remaining-block totals to VE Sin Filtro.

Conatel → AFP

La Libre.be's AFP dispatch explicitly identifies Conatel's website as the source of the official restoration announcement.

VE Sin Filtro

CNN Español explicitly cites VE Sin Filtro's website and X statements for the early count of at least eight unblocked domains and access to named outlets.

Conatel

CNN Español attributes the restoration announcement and technical instructions to internet providers to Conatel's communiqué.