Venezuela unblocks news sites censored during Maduro administration

Venezuela has restored access to 17 news sites that had been blocked for years during Nicolas Maduro’s administration. Activists welcomed the move but noted that dozens of other news portals remain unreachable.

After Maduro’s removal from power, Washington has backed talks between the interim government, led by Delcy Rodriguez, and parts of the opposition. The decision to unblock the websites came ahead of the second round of talks in Caracas.

Dinorah Figuera, head of the opposition delegation at these talks, welcomed the decision in a post on X.

“Informing without fear cannot continue to be a privilege, but must be in line with the law. This is a first step; many media are still missing and they must all return,” she said.

VE Sin Filtro, a digital rights organization, confirmed that 17 news sites have been unblocked and that they are accessible through various internet providers. It added that 188 websites remain unreachable, including 79 news portals.

Journalists and NGOs have long denounced the censorship imposed during the Maduro administration.

Deputy Communications Minister Gustavo Villapol said the decision was intended to end polarization.

“We can never again demonize people without having evidence in hand; we cannot use communication for interests that are external to the vital meaning of our nation,” he said on state television.

Reporters Without Borders said last month that repression, censorship, restricted access to information and an increasingly hostile legal environment had severely limited independent journalism in Venezuela.