1998 World Press Freedom Review

Although the severe threat to press freedom posed by President Rafael Caldera’s controversial plan to create the concept of a "right to truthful information" has been averted, the equally controversial Law for the Practice of Journalism, which went into affect at the end of 1994, remains on the statue books.

Prior to the Ibero-American summit held in November 1997 on the Venezuelan island of Margarita, President Caldera had expressed the hope that the attending governments would affirm the "right to truthful and timely information," a plan vigorously opposed by media organisations. Although the proposal was rejected at the summit, IAPA reported that the Venezuelan government had not fully honoured the decision, as demonstrated by the case of Ben Ami Fihman, the editor of Exceso magazine, who faced libel charges based on alleged "flagrant violation of the right to truthful information." Fihman told IAPA that he had repeatedly offered to give the complainant the right to reply.

The Law on the Practice of Journalism, which went into affect at the end of 1994, remains on the statue books, pending a decision by the Supreme Court on whether to act on a request by media owners - acting as the Venezuelan Press Bloc - which brought a case to the Supreme Court in November 1995 challenging the law as a violation of the freedom of expression provided for in the Constitution and international agreements on human rights that have the force of law. The law forbids persons without journalism degrees to practice the profession and includes jail terms for those who practice journalism without being members of the National College of Journalists.

http://www.freemedia.at/wpfr/Americas/venezuel.htm