The Sistema Bolivariano de Comunicación e Información (SiBCI) is a government-run conglomerate that oversees a diverse array of media platforms spanning multiple sectors. The organization manages three national television networks: Corporación Venezolana de Televisión (Venezuelan Television Corporation, VTV), dedicated to news and current affairs; Televisora Venezolana Social, a generalist broadcaster catering to various interests; and ViVe, which centers on cultural and educational programming. SiBCI also supervises Ávila Televisión, a local channel, and Telesur, an international network with a broader reach.
In the realm of radio, SiBCI helms Radio Nacional de Venezuela (RNV), which offers a mosaic of stations, including nationwide, regional, local, and global radio services. On the print and digital front, the organization publishes nine newspapers and owns the Agencia Venezolana de Noticias (AVN), the government’s principal news agency, known as Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias (ABN) until it was rebranded in 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
Ownership and governance
SiBCI operates entirely under the auspices of Venezuela’s Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information (MIPPCI), which holds exclusive control over its media operations. Every outlet under the SiBCI umbrella is directly governed by the ministry, including decisions on leadership and organizational structures. Key positions within SiBCI-affiliated media are entrusted to individuals linked to or appointed by the ministry itself. A notable example is Desirée Santos Amaral, a former communication minister, who took on the editorial role at Correo del Orinoco—a newspaper under SiBCI’s stewardship—in 2016.
Telesur, on the other hand, made its debut in 2005 during Hugo Chávez’s presidency, serving as a strategic tool to bolster Venezuela’s democratic image on the international stage. The network, with its headquarters in Caracas, broadcasts across Latin America and operates as a joint venture co-owned by the governments of Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. Unsurprisingly, the bulk of its funding comes from Caracas. Initially, it boasted the support of six Latin American nations as co-owners, but over time three of them exited the partnership. Notably, Argentina was the last to pull out in 2016, with government officials accusing the network of stifling “alternative viewpoints.”
Despite this unique multinational ownership arrangement, the Venezuelan government retains unchallenged control over Telesur, as it holds the majority of the organization’s stake.
Source of funding and budget
The Venezuelan authorities remain tight-lipped regarding the funding allocations for media outlets under the SiBCI’s control. While a handful of these outlets feature advertisements, local journalists assert that the lion’s share of their financing is sourced from the state coffers.
Editorial independence
The media outlets operated by SiBCI function with an editorial agenda directly orchestrated by the Ministry of Information. These platforms are intentionally crafted as instruments to advance the government’s messaging and serve its interests. Notably, they openly embrace their pro-government objectives. For instance, the website of Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) explicitly states that its purpose is to “disseminate” state policy in harmony with the administration’s strategies for economic and social development. Likewise, Correo del Orinoco, a SiBCI-run newspaper, describes its collaboration with the MIPPCI as “progressive” in nature.
Over the past five years, multiple reports from independent media and non-governmental organizations have characterized state-owned media under SiBCI as tools of state propaganda. A significant portion of this scrutiny has been directed at VTV, a nationwide broadcaster with five decades of operation and the widest reach in the country.
To date, no statutory framework or independent oversight mechanism guaranteeing the editorial independence of SiBCI has been identified, leaving transparency and impartiality a matter of concern.
April 2025