The Sistema Bolivariano de Comunicación e Información (SiBCI) is a government-owned conglomerate that controls various media outlets across all sectors.
It operates three national television channels: Corporación Venezolana de Televisión (Venezuelan Television Corporation, VTV), which focuses on news and information; Televisora Venezolana Social, a generalist station; and ViVe, a cultural and educational channel. SiBCI also manages the local channel Ávila Televisión and the international channel Telesur.
In the radio segment, SiBCI oversees Radio Nacional de Venezuela (RNV), which includes nationwide, regional, local, and international radio channels. Additionally, SiBCI publishes nine newspapers and owns the Agencia Venezolana de Noticias (AVN), the official government press agency previously known as Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias (ABN) until 2010.
Media assets
Television: Nationwide- Venezolana de Televisión, Televisora Venezolana Social (TVes), Vive, ConCiencia TV, 123TV (COVETEL), ShowVen TV; Local- Ávila Televisión; International- Telesur
Radio: Nationawide- Radio Nacional de Venezuela (RNV) (RNV Informativa, RNV Clásica, RNV Musical, RNV Activa, Canal Indígena); Regional- RNV Región Central, RNV Los Llanos, RNV Región Zulia, YVKE Mundial Radio; Local- Alba Ciudad; International- La Radio del Sur
Publishing: Correo del Orinoco, Ciudad CCS, Ciudad VLC, Ciudad Cojedes, Ciudad Guárico, Ciudad Petare, Ciudad BQTO, Ciudad MCY, Ciudad Maturín
News agency: Agencia Venezolana de Noticias (AVN)
Portal: Con el Mazo Dando
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
SiBCI is wholly controlled by the Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information (MIPPCI) in Venezuela. All the media under SiBCI’s umbrella are controlled by the ministry, which makes all decisions regarding the management and governance structures of the media outlets. Individuals connected with the ministry or directly selected by the ministry are appointed as heads of the SiBCI media outlets. For instance, in 2016, Desirée Santos Amaral, a former communication minister, became the editor of Correo del Orinoco, a newspaper controlled by SiBCI.
Telesur is a media outlet launched in 2005 under the government of Hugo Chavez. It was created as a means for the Venezuelan government to project a democratic image abroad. The network is headquartered in Caracas and broadcasts its programs across Latin America. Telesur is co-owned by the governments of Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, and most of its funding is provided by the Venezuelan government. Initially, six Latin American governments co-owned Telesur, but three withdrew their ownership. Argentina was the last to pull out in 2016, with high officials in the Argentinian government accusing the network of blocking “alternative viewpoints.” In 2014, Telesur launched an English-language channel headquartered in Ecuador. Despite its unique ownership structure, Telesur is fully controlled by the Venezuelan government, as it holds a majority stake in the broadcaster.
Source of funding and budget
The Venezuelan authorities do not disclose information about the budgets of the media outlets controlled by SiBCI. Although some of them carry advertising, local journalists indicate that the majority of the budget for all these media comes from the state.
Editorial independence
The media outlets run by SiBCI have their editorial line dictated by the Ministry of Information. These outlets are created and conceived as communication tools to promote the government’s interests. They are transparent about their pro-government mission. For example, Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) states on its website that it is a medium created for the “dissemination of state policy” in line with government strategy for economic and social development. Similarly, Correo del Orinoco, a newspaper run by SiBCI, describes its affiliations with the MIPPCI as “progressive.”
Numerous media and NGO reports published during the past five years have described the state media (under SiBCI) as propaganda tools. Many of these reports have focused on VTV, a nationwide television channel with a 50-year history and the largest reach in the country.
No statute or independent assessment/oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of SiBCI has been identified.
August 2024