Deutsche Welle | Venezuela: Why did Nicolás Maduro take the German channel DW off the air? | Ernesto Fuenmayor | Cartel of the Suns | Corruption | Drug trafficking | Germany | Deutsche Welle | WORLD

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The Venezuelan government under Nicolás Maduro has once again come under fire for its censorship of the media, this time targeting the Spanish channel of the German network Deutsche Welle (DW). The cancellation of the DW signal in Venezuela was sparked by a report titled “How the corrupt steal yours,” which addressed the issue of corruption in Latin American countries.

The 26-minute program, part of the series “How does it affect you,” alluded to alleged links between the Venezuelan military and politicians with the Cartel of the Suns, a criminal network involved in drug trafficking and extortion. The report labeled Venezuela as the second most corrupt country in the world, citing findings from Transparency International.

In response to the report, the Minister of Communication and Information of Venezuela, Freddy Ñáñez, announced the expulsion of DW from all cable service companies in the country, accusing the channel of spreading “hate propaganda” against the nation. Ñáñez described the report as “fake” and criticized DW for its alleged dissemination of false information.

In a statement, DW denounced the cancellation of its signal as an “attack on freedom of the press” and demanded the restoration of its distribution in Venezuela. The channel’s director, Peter Limbourg, highlighted the importance of independent information in authoritarian regimes and urged the Venezuelan government to reconsider its decision.

President Maduro himself reacted strongly to the report, labeling DW as a “Nazi channel” and dismissing the accusations of corruption as part of a campaign to tarnish his image and attack the country. Maduro has a history of cracking down on media outlets critical of his government, with at least 14 international channels being removed from subscription providers in Venezuela since 2010.

The National Union of Press Workers and the National College of Journalists of Venezuela have condemned the censorship of DW, emphasizing the importance of a free press in a democratic society. The ongoing suppression of media freedoms in Venezuela continues to raise concerns about the state of democracy and human rights in the country.