Ibéyise Pacheco, the El Nacional columnist sentenced to house arrest last Wednesday for defaming the character of Col. Angel Bellorín, was freed by Judge Belén Gamboa on Tuesday.
In an interview with Globovisión immediately following her release, Pacheco framed the verdict as a victory for freedom of speech and of the press in Venezuela, saying she considered herself, "the representative of all journalists in the nation, the media and our fight for freedom of expression."
Pacheco had originally been sentenced to nine months in prison for violation of Article 444 of the Venezuelan Penal Code, which prohibits the defamation of public personalities, with additional penalties if said defamation appears in print.
Pacheco, who has long maintained that her case is an example of government prosecution against the press, vowed to continue to fight against the outstanding charges that the Attorney General has threatened to bring against her.
"Now, I will have to continue to fight against the Attorney General, who is still looking to eventually put me in jail."
Pacheco credited her victory, in part, to the Inter-American Press Association’s condemnation of her persecution. "The Inter-American Commission was keeping an eye on what was happening to me," she said.
The IAPA meet last week in Quito, and issued a warning that Chávez was attempting to silence dissent in Venezuela. IAPA President Julio Muñoz called Chávez’ administration "a semi-totalitarian government" that regularly "abuses its power and limits freedom of expression."
Minister of Information and Communications Willian Lara shot back that same day, denouncing the IAPA as supporting, "the Bush administration’s foreign policy line of systematic aggression against the Venezuelan nation, and against Venezuelan democracy."
Pacheco had originally been sentenced to 9 months in jail.
That sentence was revised last Wednesday; however, it was determined that Pacheco’s safety could not be guaranteed in prison.
