By Isabela Fraga
Venezuela journalist Leonardo León tweeted on Sept. 30, that he had received threats on his Twitter feed from a government supporter known as "imperatus josue," reported the press freedom group Public Space.
León, creator of the news website Comunicación Continua, tweeted his support for opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles as the Sunday, Oct. 7 election approached. After denouncing the threat, León replied, "Attention...I received this threat RT @justiciero_17: @leoperiodista keep it up...we have you in our sights Leo Periodista. We know where you live." The journalist's post was retweeted 36 times.
Less than a week from the presidential election in Venezuela, the media landscape is saturated with accusations, attacks and threats. International media watchdogs, like the Committee to Protect Journalists, claim President Chávez's attacks on the press weaken freedom of expression in the country. Violence against the media affects public outlets too as state journalists reported attacks from Capriles supporters.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
