The Venezuelan Minister of Communications, Freddy Alfred Nazareth Ñáñez, has denounced the European Union’s (EU) censorship of Russian media outlets such as RT and Sputnik, while expressing his solidarity with the employees of both companies.
Via a Twitter post, Ñáñez questioned the freedom of expression and the press in Europe, suggesting these are illusions about the West that are crumbling in this era. “And what about freedoms of expression and of the press?” wrote Ñáñez. “Another myth falls in the West during the 21st century. All of our solidarity is with the workers of RT and Sputnik. EU censorship can dampen the truth but it will never silence it.”
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The statements were issued after the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced her latest attack against Russia, threatening to suspend the transmission of news channels such as RT News and Sputnik.
Just hours after her declaration, the high representative of the European Union, Josep Borrel, confirmed that the EU would censor the Russian-based outlets RT and and Sputnik.
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The EU has accused Russian channels of spreading lies “in order to justify Putin’s war” and has called them “propaganda media” in the EU.
This most recent example of outright censorship was noted by the administration of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which has ironically been accused of limiting press freedom by organizations such as the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders and the DC-based Freedom House.
For her part, the editor-in chief of Sputnik, Margarita Simonián, has clarified that she does not plan on laying off any of her employees despite the ban.
“Now that RT and Sputnik have been banned in the EU,” she stated, “I officially declare that not a single person in any country who works and continues to work for us with devotion will be laid off. We know how to work with censorship. These freedom lovers have been preparing us for this for eight years.”
To these events it should be added that this past January 27, YouTube blocked Sputnik’s channel in Ukrainian territory, and since 2020 has censored more that 50 videos from Russian accounts.
Featured image: RT headquarters. Photo: RedRadioVEE.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KW/SL
