''El Universal'' is a major Venezuelan newspaper, headquartered in

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

.Browning, Mark (2003),
Venezuela
, ''World Press Encyclopedia'' ''El Universal'' is part of the

Latin American Newspaper Association The Latin American Newspaper Association (, PAL) is a press group representing media organizations in Latin America. Founded in 2008, it represents 16 newspapers in 11 countries, as well as magazines. '' El Universal'', 24 March 2009Periódicos Asoc ...

(Spanish, ''Periodicals Associates Latin-Americans''), an organization of leading newspapers in Latin America. Its main rival is '' El Nacional.'' The newspaper does not disclose circulation figures.

History

''El Universal'' was founded in April 1909 in

by the Venezuelan poet Andrés Mata and his friend

Andrés Vigas Andrés Jorge Vigas Syers (1848 - 11 September 1930) was a Venezuelan lawyer, journalist, essayist and politician. He was born in Cumaná, the capital city of Sucre State, in eastern Venezuela. He was held a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, repr ...

, being the oldest of current Venezuelan newspapers.

Political stance and editorial opinion

On the morning of 13 April 2002, when the removal of

Hugo Chávez Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013, except for a brief period in 2002. Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Republ ...

in what later came to be referred to as the

2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt A failed coup d'état on 11 April 2002 saw the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, ousted from office for 47 hours before being restored to power. Chávez was aided in his return to power by popular support and mobilization against the coup ...

appeared a success, the paper headlined ''¡Un Paso Adelante!'' (One Step Forward!). The newspaper was described as pro-opposition by '' The Guardian'' in 2008, by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

in 2013 and by Reuters numerous times between 2011 and 2014. On 5 July 2014, it was announced that after 105 years of ownership, the Mata family had sold a controlling stake in the newspaper to a Spanish investment firm linked to the Venezuelan government, Politician S.L., a firm that "was created with the purpose of acquiring" ''El Universal''.Shadowy sale of Venezuela paper raises fears of slow-building news blackout
/ref> According to the

Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journal ...

(CPJ), ''El Universal'' "cosied up to Venezuela's socialist government" following the purchase. The CPJ wrote that staff complained about censorship by their editors and that there had been firings and resignations at the newspaper.

References

External links

* *
English-language version
*
ICON: International Newspaper Database - ''El Universal'' search results
Publications established in 1909 Spanish-language newspapers Newspapers published in Venezuela Mass media in Caracas Spanish-language websites {{Venezuela-newspaper-stub

History

Political stance and editorial opinion

See also

References

External links