Venezuela Daily Journal
Encyclopedia
The Daily Journal was an English language newspaper, published in Caracas
, Venezuela
. It was founded in 1945 by Jules Waldman, and subsequently passed into the hands of Hans Neumann, then Janet Kelly, and was later owned by Russ Dallen
, a noted journalist and banker.
It was one of the prominent three English language newspapers in Latin America, the other two being the Buenos Aires Herald
and The News in Mexico City
. Despite its relatively small circulation (30,000 est.), the Daily Journal had strong influence in Venezuela, because the paper was read by an economically important expatriate community, which included international bankers, oil executives, diplomats. In 2005, the 60-year-old paper went online and launched a Colombian edition. In 2006, the paper planned to expand into Panama and Mexico.
By August 1988, the combination of a legal case that had wound its way through the Venezuelan court system, and a secret vote by reporters and editors resulted in The Daily Journal having to hire back the reporters it had fired, and pay damages to others that preferred not to return.
Just as the situation at the paper was calming down, the political, economic and military situation in Venezuela erupted. The Jaime Lusinchi
administration was reviled for corruption and sinister methods of silencing critics. With the end of the Iran-Iraq war, the price of oil plummeted to an all-time low, crippling the Venezuelan economy, and sending the national currency (the Bolivar) into a massive short-term devaluation of nearly 1,500% in one year. And the military was revealed to be maintaining "torture barracks" to punish unwilling recruits that tried to escape military service. The Daily Journal's coverage of these crises and of the Carlos Andrés Pérez
candidacy began to provoke stern condemnations from both the Venezuelan government and the U.S. State Department.
The pressure on The Daily Journal was exacerbated by its coverage of what has come to be known as the "Massacre of El Amparo
", Venezuela erupted into nationwide riots and instability. Daily Journal editors were ordered to ignore the evidence against the DISIP
and PTJ
, and to print government propaganda, and to minimize coverage of the unrest, so as not to affect negotiations on balloon payments on Venezuela's $33 billion in foreign debt.
This all culminated in the Caracazo
—a series of protests that erupted into violent street riots and looting. The military reaction to this was ruthless, as the secret police forces (such as the DISIP and Manzopol) fanned out across the country. Some Daily Journal editors and reporters were forced to flee the country to evade reprisals during the political chaos, while others chose to stay and attempt, as best they could, to put out a newspaper.
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It was founded in 1945 by Jules Waldman, and subsequently passed into the hands of Hans Neumann, then Janet Kelly, and was later owned by Russ Dallen
Russ Dallen
Russ Dallen is a Venezuelan journalist. After writing for Newsweek and the Journal of International Affairs, he became president of the Venezuela Daily Journal, and subsequently, Editor-in-Chief of the Latin American Herald Tribune- Sources :* *...
, a noted journalist and banker.
It was one of the prominent three English language newspapers in Latin America, the other two being the Buenos Aires Herald
Buenos Aires Herald
The Buenos Aires Herald is an English language daily newspaper from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Their slogan is A World of Information in a few words.-History:...
and The News in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Despite its relatively small circulation (30,000 est.), the Daily Journal had strong influence in Venezuela, because the paper was read by an economically important expatriate community, which included international bankers, oil executives, diplomats. In 2005, the 60-year-old paper went online and launched a Colombian edition. In 2006, the paper planned to expand into Panama and Mexico.
History
In 1988, The Daily Journal was rocked by a labor dispute. The editor, Nigel Cumberbatch, was fired and replaced by Tony Bianchi, who was seen as more reliable, and many of the staff who were involved in the attempt to unionize the paper were also fired. The remaining staffers were supplemented by a series of new hires of journalists, usually fresh out of college, who were imported from the U.S. and thrown into a complex situation.By August 1988, the combination of a legal case that had wound its way through the Venezuelan court system, and a secret vote by reporters and editors resulted in The Daily Journal having to hire back the reporters it had fired, and pay damages to others that preferred not to return.
Just as the situation at the paper was calming down, the political, economic and military situation in Venezuela erupted. The Jaime Lusinchi
Jaime Lusinchi
Jaime Ramón Lusinchi is a Venezuelan politician who was the President of Venezuela from 1984 to 1989. His term was characterized by an economic crisis, growth of the External debt, populist policies, currency depreciation, inflation and corruption that exacerbated the crisis of the political...
administration was reviled for corruption and sinister methods of silencing critics. With the end of the Iran-Iraq war, the price of oil plummeted to an all-time low, crippling the Venezuelan economy, and sending the national currency (the Bolivar) into a massive short-term devaluation of nearly 1,500% in one year. And the military was revealed to be maintaining "torture barracks" to punish unwilling recruits that tried to escape military service. The Daily Journal's coverage of these crises and of the Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
candidacy began to provoke stern condemnations from both the Venezuelan government and the U.S. State Department.
The pressure on The Daily Journal was exacerbated by its coverage of what has come to be known as the "Massacre of El Amparo
Massacre of El Amparo
The Massacre of El Amparo was a massacre of 14 fishermen which took place near the village of El Amparo, in Venezuela's western state of Apure, on 29 October 1988...
", Venezuela erupted into nationwide riots and instability. Daily Journal editors were ordered to ignore the evidence against the DISIP
Dirección de los Servicios de Inteligencia y Prevención
thumb|250px|right|El Helicoide building in Caracas - old headquarters of SEBINSEBIN, the Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia , is the premier intelligence agency in Venezuela...
and PTJ
Cuerpo Tecnico de Policia Judicial
The Cuerpo Técnico de Policía Judicial was Venezuela's largest national police agency. Created in 1958, it was responsible for criminal investigations and forensic services, as well as counter-narcotics...
, and to print government propaganda, and to minimize coverage of the unrest, so as not to affect negotiations on balloon payments on Venezuela's $33 billion in foreign debt.
This all culminated in the Caracazo
Caracazo
The Caracazo or sacudón is the name given to the wave of protests, riots and looting and ensuing massacre that occurred on 27 February 1989 in the Venezuelan capital Caracas and surrounding towns. The riots — the worst in Venezuelan history — resulted in a death toll of anywhere between...
—a series of protests that erupted into violent street riots and looting. The military reaction to this was ruthless, as the secret police forces (such as the DISIP and Manzopol) fanned out across the country. Some Daily Journal editors and reporters were forced to flee the country to evade reprisals during the political chaos, while others chose to stay and attempt, as best they could, to put out a newspaper.