New Swedish support to free and independent media in Venezuela

“In light of the disputed election, Venezuela’s socialist regime is now doing everything it can to silence free speech and block oppositional voices. With this emergency support, we want to help independent journalists to be able to report on the developments and document the restrictions on human rights and freedoms that are being imposed in the country,” says Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell.

Access to information is a cornerstone of the fight against authoritarian regimes. This is a component of the Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen democracy, freedom of the press and freedom of expression globally, and it is one of the building blocks in the Government’s initiative to enhance the conditions for free elections. The support will be channelled via the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).