Chapter 3: Social Protest and Freedom of Expression | 167
required documentation, and yet they are kept in a limbo that induces them to self-censor to avoid not having their license renewed." 721
315. The IACHR received information indicating that on the night of Friday August 25, representatives of Conatel entered the stations 92.9 FM and Mágica 99.1 FM in the city of Caracas and ordered the definitive cessation of their transmissions. As reported, minutes after both media went of air the frequencies were taken by two new stations linked to the official party. The radio signal from the 92.9 FM radio station, which had a large-audience journalistic program, was replaced that same night by Radio Corazón Llanero, which would be operated by a foundation under the control of an Army captain, former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez's aide, and current member of the National Constituent Assembly. The signal of the Mágica 99.1 FM station was replaced by the station Vinotinto FM, whose owner is yet unknown. On September 5, Conatel would have ordered the cessation of broadcasts of station 88.1 FM of the emblematic educational radio Fe y Alegría in the city of Maracaibo, and hours later, it would have revoked the order without providing any explanations. Previously, on July 16, Conatel, invoking lack of documents, also closed ULA TV, the television channel of the Universidad de los Andes in Mérida. In Santa Cruz de Mora and Tovar, towns located in the state of Merida, Conatel closed the local television stations ZeaTv and Televisora Cultural de Tovar, and the radio stations Sky 95.5 Fm, Campesina Stereo 93.3 Fm, and Candela 98.3 Fm., supposedly for not being enabled to transmit, requiring them to go to Caracas to carry out the procedures 722.
316. According to the information provided by several organizations, during 2017 there would be at least 49 closed national radio stations (among them, Hit 90.7, Estudio 92.1, Radio Punto Fijo Stereo y Jet 95.3 723, Yara104.3, K-ndela90.3, Más Network98.9, Rumbera106.5, Shaddai101.9, Mix98.3, Criollísima104.9 724, Suena 101.7 FM, Sonora 99.3 FM, Cunaviche 106.3 FM, Top Stereo 90.3 FM, and Latín Top 101.1 FM 725), television channels 721
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Espacio Público, Exigen a Conatel respuesta inmediata sobre concesiones de frecuencias radioeléctricas, April 21, 2016; Notiminuto, CNP exige a Conatel rapidez en concesiones para radio and televisión, April 21, 2016; Colegio Nacional de Periodistas (CNP), Exigen a Conatel respuesta inmediata sobre concesiones de frecuencias radioeléctricas, April 21, 2016. Espacio Público, Conatel cerró medios de comunicación en Tovar, August 18, 2017; and El Pitazo, Cinco medios de comunicación han sido cerrados por Conatel en menos de 24 horas en Tovar, Mérida, August 17, 2017. El Nacional, Funcionarios de Conatel acompañados de la policía, decomisaron los equipos de la emisora Estudio 92.1 en Paraguaná, 11 de abril de 2017; and La Voz, Conatel apagó cuatro emisoras en Paraguaná, April 11, 2017. Runrun, Conatel suspende transmisiones de siete emisoras en Yaracuy, March 8, 2017; and NTN24, Denuncian que Conatel suspendió transmisiones de siete emisoras en Yaracuy, March 8, 2017. Analítica, SNTP denuncia que Conatel cerró nueve emisoras en Maturín, March 22, 2017. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights | IACHR