Aporrea
 | |
| URL | www |
|---|---|
| Launched | May 2002 |
| Current status | Active |
Aporrea is a Venezuelan website that publishes news and opinions from the point of view of supporters of former President Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution. It ranks as the fourth most visited local political site in the country, according to site metrics Alexa.com,[1] and it claims to be the first among local independent left-leaning outlets.[2] Most of the site's content was supportive of the political changes promoted by late president Hugo Chávez, but in recent years, it has content critical of the current government led by Chavez's protégé Nicolás Maduro, turning it into a "gathering place for dissidence within chavismo".[3]
History
[edit]Aporrea was created after the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt to "defend the gains of the 1999 Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the will of the people". The site was created by Gonzalo Gómez and Martin Sánchez, the latter of which withdrew in 2004 to take up a post as diplomat for the Venezuelan government.[4]
Since 2010, the Venezuelan government stopped contracting advertisement on the site, forcing it to run commercial ads. Advertising on the site remains free for cooperatives, small businesses and NGOs.[2][non-primary source needed]
In 2019, Gonzalo Gómez declared that "Maduro deserves to be recalled". According to Gomez, Aporrea's role as an independent left wing outlet is pivotal, as content critical of government policies "have no space in State owned media".[5]
Censorship
[edit]Aporrea is currently censored in Venezuelan government owned Internet service providers. Since February 2019, the site is unreachable to users of Cantv and Movilnet, the State ISPs, which make serve the majority of the country's population. Other local independent media outlets are also affected.[6]
The site has been the target of state sponsored attacks aimed at silencing it. "Even media claiming to maintain a neutral position, such as Aporrea, were attacked," said Freedom House in one of its reports on Internet freedom in Venezuela.[7]
On 23 February 2023, Aporrea was the subject of a DNS block, which was denounced by its director, Gonzalo Gómez.[8][9]
Critical reception
[edit]Venezuelan government figures have publicly criticized the site. Diosdado Cabello, the current President of the National Constituent Assembly described Aporrea and its columnists as traitors. "Write everything you want, but enough of betrayals! You can write everything you want, nobody forbids it, you are within your rights, but define yourself [politically].[10]"
According to Manuel Laya of the Communist Party of Venezuela, Aporrea no longer serves its original purpose and was an instrument of the "fifth column" to hinder the flow of information.[11]
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Aporrea has "a record of promoting antisemitic conspiracies"[12] and presented multiple articles which they found offensive in their 2014 Antisemitismo en Venezuela report.[13] The Simon Wiesenthal Center also criticized what it considers anti-Semitic commentary on the website.[14] Several other organizations have also criticized the website citing anti-Semitic ideas.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Aporrea attacked both the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, criticizing that the organizations for not contacting Aporrea to ask the content to be removed and for condemning the website's editorial stance on Israel.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ "Alexa - Top Sites in Venezuela - Alexa". www.alexa.com. Archived from the original on 2019-02-02. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ a b Aporrea.org. "Acerca de Aporrea. Contacto / About Aporrea. Contact us". Aporrea (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ A, Gustavo Hernández (2019-02-17). "The Counterattack of the Propaganda Apparatus". Caracas Chronicles. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "Sobre Aporrea". Aporrea. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
- ^ "Gonzalo Gómez, de Aporrea: "Maduro merece ser revocado"". elestimulo.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ Venezuela, IPYS. "Balance Especial IPYSve | 881: la lista de la censura digital en Venezuela". IPYS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "2017 Venezuela Report". Freedom House. Archived from the original on 2019-06-16. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ Garrido, Andrea (2023-03-01). "Portal Aporrea.org bloqueado por DNS · Espacio Público". Espacio Público (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Rodríguez Rosas, Ronny (2023-03-01). "Aporrea denuncia bloqueo a su sitio web". Efecto Cocuyo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Franco, Vielma (2 February 2017). "That opposition site called Aporrea". Misión Verdad (Mission Truth). Archived from the original on 2017-02-03. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ Manuel Laya (25 November 2009). "Aporrea ya no aporrea". Partido Comunista de Venezuela. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- ^ "International Scapegoating of Israel and Jews for Spreading COVID-19". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ "Antisemitismo en Venezuela" (PDF). Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
- ^ "Wiesenthal Center Denounces Venezuelan Anti-Semitic Defamation of New Argentine Foreign Minister". The Simon Wiesenthal Center. Archived from the original on 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
- ^ Noticias24 (29 January 2010). "Chávez y los ataques antisemitas en Latinoamérica". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ El Pais (8 February 2009). "Un tema de justicia, no de impunidad".
- ^ El Universal (31 January 2009). "Centro Wiesenthal pide a la OEA que se pronuncie sobre ataque antisemita en Venezuela".
- ^ Diario HOY (31 January 2009). "Incidentes antisemitas en Latinoamérica". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
- ^ Noticias24 (6 February 2009). "Surgen casos de antisemitismo en Venezuela". Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ La Guía de Venezuela. "Sammy Eppel: 'Aporrea publicó 164 piezas antisemitas que incitan al odio'".
- ^ El Universo (6 February 2009). "Surgen casos de antisemitismo en Venezuela".
- ^ "Sobre Aporrea". Aporrea. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
Lamentamos que prominentes organizaciones que afirman defender los Derechos Humanos y combatir la judeo-fobia (anti-semitismo), como el Centro Simon Wiesenthal (Simon Wiesenthal Center, en inglés) y la Liga Anti-Difamación (Anti-Defamation League o ADL, en inglés) jamás hayan contactado directamente a Aporrea cuando por error u omisión, hayamos publicado materiales que puedan haber violado nuestros principios. Condenamos que dichas organizaciones decidan usar dichos errores y omisiones nuestras para atacarnos públicamente por nuestra postura editorial en contra de las acciones del gobierno de Israel, en vez de comunicarse con nosotros (tal como lo han hecho varios de nuestros columnistas y usuarios de origen judío) para solicitar que dichos materiales sean removidos y que dichas opiniones no sigan perpetuándose o reproduciéndose.