Venezuela decides to shut down the broadcasting of CNN in Spanish over a story the government claims isn’t real.
CNN in Spanish ran a story that alleged Venezuelan government officials sold passports to a terrorist group from the Middle East. The report used the testimony of a whistleblower as the basis of the story.
In a news release the National Telecommunications Commission said the story “threatened the peace and democratic stability” of Venezuela.
The Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez framed CNN as being part of a conspiracy to remove President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro said that CNN is an “instrument of war in the hand of real mafias.”
To further escalate the problems between the US and Venezuela, Trump met with the wife of the imprisoned former leader of Venezuela.
Venezuela should allow Leopoldo Lopez, a political prisoner & husband of @liliantintori (just met w/ @marcorubio) out of prison immediately. pic.twitter.com/bt8Xhdo7al
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
Trump is calling for the immediate release of Leopoldo Lopez who directly opposes the socialist leader Maduro.
CNN is not backing down, and they are standing by their report. In a statement they said, “at CNN en Espanol we believe in the vital role that freedom of press plays in a healthy democracy.”
