Venezuelans take to the polls on Sunday in what many commentators are describing as the most important election in a generation – not only for the oil-rich nation but also for the entire continent. Despite reports of an alarming increase in attacks against the media that have constricted open debate, public opinion may not be as one-sided as official statistics suggest. With rising discontent and a polarised electorate, the stage is set for a dramatic run-in this weekend that could have reverberations for Leftist governments throughout the Americas.

Weekly newspaper Río Doce is a rare success story of independent journalism in one of the world’s most dangerous regions for media professionals. Based in the city of Culiacán, capital of the north western state of Sinaloa, in Mexico, the publication received the 2011 edition of the prestigious Maria Moors Cabot Prizes, awarded by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, in recognition for the most outstanding reporting on Latin America and the Caribbean. WAN-IFRA interviewed Mr. Ismael Bojorquez Perea, one of the founders and current director of Río Doce.