Venezuelan Newspaper to Halt Printing

A newspaper critical of President Hugo Chavez's government said Tuesday it is being forced to stop printing because officials have failed to give it access to U.S. dollars it needs to import newsprint.

Publisher and editor David Natera said the government has a clear political motivation for not cooperating with his regional daily, Correo del Caroni, which has long taken a critical stance.

An official at Venezuela's information ministry said no response was immediately available. Chavez's government has consistently denied violating press freedoms, noting that most news outlets remain in private hands and many newspapers and broadcasters take an anti-Chavez line.

Correo del Caroni, based in the eastern city of Puerto Ordaz, said its print edition will not be published starting Wednesday because of the lack of newsprint. It will continue to post news on its Web site.

"I hope this regime respects the rights we have to foreign currency ... and doesn't use the currency controls against freedom of expression," Natera said.

Chavez's government imposed currency exchange controls in 2003, requiring Venezuelans and companies to request state authorization to trade local currency for dollars at the official rate, which holds the Venezuelan bolivar steady at 2,150 bolivars to the dollar _ about one-third of the black-market rate.

The head of the government commission that handles requests for dollars acknowledged on Tuesday that there had been delays in processing applications in the past week. Manuel Barroso blamed computer problems, saying they have been solved. He did not address the newspaper's situation.

Natera, who is also a leader among Venezuelan newspaper publishers, has repeatedly accused the government of trying to push aside critical news media. He said the government does not accept hard-nosed journalism _ "without concessions or negotiations" _ as practiced by his newspaper.

Natera said he believes the government is getting back at him for reports he has prepared for the Inter American Press Association warning of threats to press freedom.

The Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders expressed concern, calling on Barroso to "do what is necessary to get things moving and to allow the Correo del Caroni to resume publishing."

"We hope that exchange controls, like the allocation of state advertising, has not been turned into a way of penalizing publications for their editorial policies," the group said in a statement.

Natera said three other regional newspapers are facing a similar shortage of newsprint and have only a few weeks' worth in stock because they have been unable to obtain dollars through the government to buy more.

(This version UPDATES with quote from publisher. corrects in graf 5 that official rate of 2,150 bolivars to the dollar is about one-third black market rate. RAISES government position.)