VOA and y RFE/RL
The director of América 24Horas, Alejandro Mendoza, condemned US President Donald Trump’s decision to downsize the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and other federal broadcasters, such as Voice of America and Alhurra.
«Closing VOA Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty would be a crime against humanity. Those most harmed by the closure of news stations are citizens of countries like Russia, Belarus, and Iran. In those nations, freedom of expression is threatened, and several RFE/RL journalists have been arrested for reporting,» Mendoza said on his X social media account.
«Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been providing information to oppressed peoples, where freedom of expression is restricted, for more than 75 years. In Russia, RFE/RL has been banned by the Kremlin and has had to close its operations in the country, but they continue to inform Russians about events in Russia and the war in Ukraine,» he added.
Mendoza lamented that President Donald Trump’s administration is taking action against US-funded international media outlets whose mission is to promote democratic values through truthful, uncensored news.
The work of América 24 Horas will be affected without the media overseen by the USAGM, especially without VOA and RFE/RL.
The head of this outlet expressed his gratitude to RFE/RL for being América 24 Horas’ primary source for news in Russia and the unprovoked war started by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.
Founded in 1942, Voice of America (VOA) is the largest international multimedia news organization in the US, providing content in more than 45 languages to audiences with limited or no access to a free press.
RFE/RL provides reliable, uncensored news to audiences in 23 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, countries where press freedom is threatened.
Mendoza also expressed his solidarity with Radio Free Asia (RFA), the Arab network Alhurra, and the outlet for oppressed Cubans, Martinoticias.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at cutting seven federal agencies, including the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America, and several other media outlets.
The order, signed late on March 14, also targets agencies that address homelessness, labor disputes, and community development.
During his first term as president, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized USAGM for its editorial independence and broadcasting strategy. At the start of his second term, he again expressed his dissatisfaction with the agency’s activities.
Supporters of the agency believe that the media outlets that comprise USAGM are an important tool of American diplomacy.