"Several news websites that had been censored for years in Venezuela were unblocked this Thursday [September 17] by the telecommunications regulator, with newsroom executives celebrating having survived the digital silence.
The announcement came ahead of Thursday's second round of political talks between the interim government and a faction of the opposition, which will address freedom of expression.
Journalists and non-governmental organizations have for years denounced the blocking of web portals as a mechanism of censorship—a practice consistently denied by the Maduro government, which stands accused of drug trafficking in a New York court.
Digital rights NGO VE Sin Filtro verified access to 17 web portals across several internet service providers. The organization still records at least 188 blocked websites nationwide, including 79 news outlets."
