An association of Colombia’s media editors shipped 62 tons of blank newsprint rolls to assist Venezuela’s oldest newspaper that had been experiencing a “painful and difficult situation,” reported Colombia’s El Espectador newspaper on Thursday.
In an effort to alleviate Venezuela’s situation of not being able to produce newsprint locally, the Colombian Association of Newspaper Editors and Media (Andiarios) sent their second shipment of paper in as many months to El Impulso, Venezuela’s oldest circulating newspaper.
According to El Espectador, the rolls were delivered Wednesday on loan as part of the initiative “We are all Venezuela: Without freedom of press, there is no democracy,” which is aimed at promoting freedom of expression as well as showing solidarity for Venezuela’s struggling newspapers.
According to Andiarios director Nora Sanin, these loans do not seek “anything but to express our solidarity and support freedom of expression in Venezuela and the right of Venezuelan citizens to information.”
“We welcome the arrival of this shipment of paper for the newspaper El Impulso, Venezuela’s oldest, that’s been living a painful and difficult situation for some time,” added Sanin.
Last month, Andiarios sent 52 tons of paper to three different newspapers in Venezuela, El Nacional, El Nuevo Pais, and El Impulso. All three dailies have been openly critical of the Venezuelan Government since the Chavez administration.
MORE: Colombian newspapers loan paper to Venezuelan colleagues critical of government
According to Sanin, 12 newspapers in Venezuela have gone out of circulation since 2013 due to a lack of paper. So far this year, 33 newspapers have been forced to reduce the number of pages in their publications for the same reason.
Sources
- Andiarios envia por segunda vez papel periodico a Venezuela (El Espectador)