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Globovision President Says He Can’t Go Back to Venezuela


Has not decided whether to request asylum

Washington, D.C., July 15, 2010 - The president of Venezuela's independent Globovisión television station has told VOA that he is considering asking for political asylum in the United States.

In an exclusive interview with VOA's Foro Interamericano (Inter-American Forum), Globovisión President, Guillermo Zuloaga, said he "cannot go back to Venezuela," where he was briefly detained in March for criticizing the government of President Hugo Chavez.

In the interview, which airs Friday on VOA, Zuloaga said, "For the time being I am not returning to Venezuela. U.S. government officials, as well as attorneys, have recommended that I request political asylum, but I have not made a decision."

In June, the government ordered Zuloaga's arrest on charges that he and his son hoarded automobiles, allegations he denies.

Last week, Zuloaga left Venezuela and came to Washington where he met with officials of the Organization of American States to explain his case and the situation of freedom of the press in Venezuela.

VOA has been airing excerpts of the interview on radio, television (El Mundo al Día) and voanoticias.com. The entire interview will be aired Friday on Foro Interamericano.

Foro Interamericano is a 60-minute weekly TV discussion forum on current issues in the United States and around the world. The program features news and interviews with policy makers, along with roundtable discussions with journalists. The program airs Fridays at 8:30 a.m. EST (1330 UTC). VOA Spanish language programs are available online at www.VOANews.com/Spanish.

The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 125 million people. Programs are produced in 44 languages and are intended exclusively for audiences outside of the United States.

For more information, call VOA Public Relations at (202) 203-4959, or e-mail askvoa@voanews.com.

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