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Venezuela allows CNN to stay, calls for 'balanced' reporting on ongoing unrest

Venezuela allows CNN to stay, calls for 'balanced' reporting on ongoing unrest

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After giving a fiery speech last Thursday calling for CNN reporters to leave the troubled country, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro reversed his stance only a day later, saying journalists could stay so long as they did "balanced" reporting on the unrest. "When they call you and say report this, find a balance," he said during a press conference on state television. "A balance based on respect for Venezuelan laws. He who does not respect the laws will not be on Venezuelan airwaves."

The decision to ban CNN journalists came in the midst of ongoing protests aimed at Maduro, who took power after the death of President Hugo Chavez last March. Tensions have only intensified in the months since, with The New York Times reporting that four protesters were shot and killed in recent weeks. Maduro sought on Thursday to wrest control of the coverage from international media and place it in the hands of state-run outlets, which have largely ignored the violence."Enough war propaganda," he said at the time. "I do not accept war propaganda against Venezuela. If they do not rectify things, get out of Venezuela, CNN, get out." CNN, for its part, has asserted that it has covered both sides of the situation. For now, that coverage can continue.