Western Hemisphere
The United States said on Thursday that Washington's position on freedom of the press in Venezuela has been very clear, as they have always called for removal of the intimidation of the media, particularly private news TV network Globovisión .

US State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly was referring to the situation facing press freedom in Venezuela. He was asked about the claims of Globovisión CEO Guillermo Zuloaga, who said on Thursday that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez wants "to put him in jail" and seeks to create fear "in order to silence" the network, Efe reported.

"I'm not aware of these most recent developments, but this is an important issue and we've been very forthright about our calls for more freedom of expression in Venezuela," added Kelly.

"Our position on freedom of the press in Venezuela has been very clear, that we call for a removal of intimidation and other moves against the media there, particularly Globovisión."

The spokesman also showed confidence that Washington, through its ambassador in Caracas, Patrick Duddy, has addressed the issue of restrictions on press freedom with the Venezuelan government.

"I'm sure we have had these kind of conversations privately as well through diplomatic channels," he stressed.

Globovisión, an outspoken critic of Chávez, faces a number of ongoing criminal cases filed by the Attorney General Office of Venezuela.

Both Zuloaga and his son, Carlos Zuloaga, have been banned from leaving the country for the last six months and must report weekly to a Caracas court on those charges.

The Venezuelan government has repeatedly accused Globovisión of "sickening" its viewers and "incite violence," while Chávez himself has repeatedly threatened to revoke Globovisión's broadcasting license.