Venezuela: Police Obstruct Journalist Lisbeth Martínez from Covering Hospital Demonstration
Press were barred from reporting on patients protesting surgery delays
Location: Venezuela, Maturín
Date: November 2, 2023
In Maturín, Monagas state, multiple journalists, including Lisbeth Martínez, were prevented from covering a protest at the Dr. Manuel Núñez Tovar University Hospital. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the actions of police and hospital administration who hindered journalists trying to report. This case concerns a matter of collective interest — the urgent demand for the resumption of surgeries in the hospital. State officials are responsible for ensuring that journalists have free access to information in the public interest. This access should be granted without interference, censorship, or any other violation of press freedom.
On November 2, journalists attempting to report on a protest at the Dr. Manuel Núñez Tovar University Hospital were met with resistance from local police and hospital administrators. Lisbeth Martínez, a journalist from La Verdad de Monagas, was forcibly removed from the trauma center on the hospital's fourth floor by the director of the Monagas Police. The reporter managed to record protesters' grievances and health authorities' explanations regarding surgery delays before she was abruptly ejected from the hospital. Martínez received no explanation for this unjust removal.
The protests at the Dr. Manuel Núñez Tovar Central Hospital in Maturín, particularly on the fourth floor in the trauma area, are a direct response to the lack of proper air conditioning in the surgery unit. This deficiency has led to severe delays in surgical procedures. Patients and their family members, some of whom have been hospitalized for extended periods, ranging from a month to 50 days, initiated a symbolic protest. They took stretchers into the corridor to draw attention to their demand for air conditioning in the surgery unit.
Martínez’s colleagues, journalists Jefferson Civira and José Piñango, faced similar restrictions when trying to report the demonstrations. They were denied access to the hospital's fourth floor by doormen, who claimed to be acting on superior orders. This incident in Maturrín marks the third time in 2023 that journalists have been obstructed from reporting from the hospital.
CFWIJ has documented a worrying increase in violations against women journalists in Venezuela in recent months. Journalists have been surveilled, assaulted, threatened, and violently attacked, all while trying to do their jobs.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands that Lisbeth Martínez and her colleagues, Jefferson Civira and José Piñango, be allowed to report on demonstrations at the Dr. Manuel Núñez Tovar University Hospital without hindrance. Obstructing journalists from their vital role in covering protests is a clear infringement upon press freedom and serves to undermine the media's ability to provide the public with essential information.
We call for a thorough investigation into this incident and urge Monagas state authorities to take immediate action to guarantee the safety and freedom of journalists.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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