{
  "title": "Ladder: expulsion and visa denial, in South America",
  "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/expulsion_and_visa_denial?continent=south-america",
  "filters": {
    "continent": "south-america"
  },
  "counts_caveat": "The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.",
  "tactic": {
    "slug": "expulsion_and_visa_denial",
    "name": "Expulsion and visa denial",
    "definition": "A government expels correspondents who report from its territory for news organisations based in other countries, refuses them visas or accreditation, or declines to renew their permission to stay. The effect is less independent reporting from inside the country.",
    "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/tactics/expulsion_and_visa_denial"
  },
  "focal_case": "US",
  "count": 2,
  "stages": [
    {
      "stage": "punish",
      "name": "Punish",
      "definition": "Legal or physical action against individual journalists or sources: subpoenas and record seizures, prosecutions, arrests, detention, expulsions, visa denials, assault where a government actor is involved.",
      "rungs": [
        {
          "slug": "2017-venezuela-foreign-journalists-expelled",
          "title": "Venezuela expels or denies entry to dozens of foreign journalists covering anti-government protests",
          "occurred_on": "2017-09-01",
          "occurred_on_precision": "day",
          "stage": "punish",
          "focal_case": false,
          "country": "VE",
          "country_name": "Venezuela",
          "continent": "south-america",
          "rsf": {
            "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
            "year": 2026,
            "rank": 159,
            "of": 180,
            "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180",
            "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
          },
          "leader_slug": "nicolas-maduro",
          "leader_name": "Nicolas Maduro",
          "what_was_done": "During 2016 to 2018 protests against President Nicolas Maduro's government, Venezuelan authorities expelled, deported or denied entry to dozens of foreign correspondents, most citing bureaucratic pretexts such as visa irregularities rather than a stated substantive reason.",
          "outcome": "ongoing",
          "outcome_on": "2018-01-25",
          "outcome_note": "The pattern of expulsions and entry denials continued into 2018 and 2019 with no announced change in policy in the sources reviewed.",
          "ladder_note": null,
          "sources_count": 1,
          "tactic_primary": "expulsion_and_visa_denial",
          "tactics": [
            "expulsion_and_visa_denial"
          ],
          "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2017-venezuela-foreign-journalists-expelled"
        },
        {
          "slug": "2024-venezuela-post-election-press-crackdown",
          "title": "Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 election",
          "occurred_on": "2024-07-28",
          "occurred_on_precision": "day",
          "stage": "punish",
          "focal_case": false,
          "country": "VE",
          "country_name": "Venezuela",
          "continent": "south-america",
          "rsf": {
            "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
            "year": 2026,
            "rank": 159,
            "of": 180,
            "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180",
            "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
          },
          "leader_slug": "nicolas-maduro",
          "leader_name": "Nicolas Maduro",
          "what_was_done": "In the two weeks after Venezuela's disputed July 28, 2024 presidential election, Reporters Without Borders documented 70 press-freedom violations, including nine detentions, nine expulsions of foreign correspondents and the suspension of the social media platform X, as President Nicolas Maduro's go…",
          "outcome": "sustained",
          "outcome_on": null,
          "outcome_note": "Detained journalists faced continuing prosecution, and social-platform restrictions remained in place after the documented period.",
          "ladder_note": null,
          "sources_count": 2,
          "tactic_primary": "detention_and_violence",
          "tactics": [
            "detention_and_violence",
            "expulsion_and_visa_denial",
            "shutdowns_and_blocking"
          ],
          "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-venezuela-post-election-press-crackdown"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "downloads": {
    "csv": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/expulsion_and_visa_denial?continent=south-america&format=csv",
    "json": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/expulsion_and_visa_denial.json?continent=south-america",
    "md": "https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/expulsion_and_visa_denial.md?continent=south-america"
  },
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  }
}