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C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CEN, WHA/USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SCUL NU VE
SUBJECT: GON RESPECTS VENEZUELAN DECISION TO CLOSE RCTV, 
BUT CLAIMS NICARAGUA WILL CONTINUE TO GUARANTEE PRESS 
FREEDOM 
 
REF: STATE 67643 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli.  Reasons 1.4 (B,D). 
 
¶1.  (C) On May 21, the Ambassador raised with Foreign 
Minister Samuel Santos the demarche points on press freedom 
contained in refetel.  The Ambassador expressed concern that 
the imminent closure of Venezuelan television channel RCTV is 
an act that violates the OAS' Inter-American Convention on 
Human Rights, to which the Governments of Nicaragua and 
Venezuela are parties.  Further, President Ortega's recent 
endorsement of the decision on the margins of the ALBA 
meeting in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, could lead to the 
assumption that Ortega supports this type of measure. 
Attempting to rationalize Venezuelan President Chavez' 
decision not to renew RCTV's license and Ortega's support for 
the measure, Santos asserted that in Nicaragua there is full 
press freedom and that at times one faces a "fine line" when 
making "technical" decisions regarding the operation of media 
outlets. 
 
¶2.  (C) The Ambassador clarified that President Chavez's 
action appears to be driven entirely by political interests, 
as Chavez himself has stated that he will not renew RCTV's 
license because the channel opposes him.  Moreover, a number 
of NGOs, as well as the OAS, have publicly opposed Chavez's 
decision.  Santos countered that the Nicaraguan government 
(GON) respects Venezuela's decision.  He added that some 
media in Nicaragua are also problematic, for example 
(right-of-center) daily La Prensa, which he claimed often 
distorts or manipulates what he and other GON officials say; 
nonetheless, all media are allowed to operate freely in 
Nicaragua. 
 
¶3.  (C) Comment: It is clear from the conversation that the 
Ortega government is willing to support Chavez even when it 
comes to violating such basic rights like press freedom. 
Foreign Minister Santos asserts that press freedom is 
guaranteed in Nicaragua.  Maybe for now, but the signs are 
not encouraging.  The Ortega administration has cancelled 
government advertising in La Prensa in an attempt to 
financially hurt the paper, and President Ortega frequently 
rails against La Prensa and Nicaragua's right-of-center 
Channel 2.  More likely, Ortega envies Chavez's ability to 
clamp down on RCTV and dreams of the day when he can do the 
same with Nicaragua's Channel 2. 
TRIVELLI