The moment CNN was censored in #Venezuela: t.co/LS1o1fEcHM
As violent clashes erupted across Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas, the government pulled international broadcasters off the airwaves. Both CNN and the BBC were taken off the air on Tuesday afternoon. You can see the exact moment when CNN was shut down, above. The newsfeed suddenly stops, and a message reading, in Spanish, “This program is not available due to restrictions by the cable provider.”
CNN confirmed that DirecTV, Net Uno, Intercable, and Telefónica had all been ordered by Conatel, the Venezuelan government regulator, to block CNN. A BBC spokesperson told CNN that BBC Global News had also been taken off the air in the South American country.
CNN said that it was taken off-air after it broadcast footage which showed Venezuelan tanks rolling over protesters near an airbase in Caracas. You can see that footage here.
Gunfights Erupted Elsewhere in Caracas, as Anti-Government Protesters Packed the Streets
On Tuesday the Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaido, called on members of the country’s military to help him oust President Nicolas Maduro. Guaido held a rally at the La Carlotta airbase, which led to violent clashes between his supporters and forces loyal to the Maduro government. Reports on social media said that a gunfight broke out at the Venezuelan Transport Ministry Office on Tuesday afternoon; you can see footage from that encounter above. Reports also said that a group of protesters managed to breach the perimeter of the Francisco de Miranda airbase, at least for a moment. You can see that here:
#BREAKING : Moments protesters break into La Carlota’s Fransisco de Miranda military airbase in #Chuao near #Caracas #Venezuela. Perimeter defences have been breached, base installations taken over. #OperacionLibertad #OperationLiberty
Protesters tried to bring down the fence around the airbase. You can see footage of that attempt here:
On January 23, Venezuela’s opposition party held nation-wide protests against President Nicolas Maduro, who had just been sworn in for a second term. Over the past few years, the Maduro government has been sharply criticized for brutally crushing street protests and jailing opposition leaders. Maduro won re-election in 2018, but most international observers said the election was fraudulent, especially since most opposition candidates boycotted the poll. So after Maduro was sworn in for a second term, the Venezuelan opposition, reportedly backed by the United States, decided to challenge his right to power.
On January 23, the opposition announced that President Maduro was failing to meet his duties as president. The opposition then declared that Juan Guaido, the president of the country’s National Assembly, would take over as president of Venezuela until new elections can be held. Guaido was sworn in as the country’s interim president at a make-shift outdoor ceremony. The United States has already recognized Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela, as have many Latin American countries.