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With a goal towards reshaping the narrative, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hosted its inaugural two-day international media forum titled “Voices of the New World” from July 30 to 31, 2025.

The event brought together more than 200 communicators, journalists, researchers, and media professionals from over 50 countries, many from the Caribbean and the global South.

Held at the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas, the forum marked the official launch of the Alliance of Journalists for Communication of the Global South, a collaborative effort to amplify independent voices, share truth, and push back against what organizers described as a long-standing Western media monopoly.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil welcomed the delegates noting “It is a true honor to start of this forum. Today mankind faces multiple threats and challenges and it is also included in journalism and transmitting truth.”

Minister Gil told the media personnel that “you have been fighting your whole life to transmit the truth and it is no coincidence that you have been called here.”

He addressed political issues which can impact the smaller countries and their media if allowed to grow.

“When you see imperialism, fascism and neo colonialism, which we have denounced many, many times, raise its head again, we must come together to fight it,” he noted.

Minister Gil went on to say that the global threats that Venezuela has faced over the years have made them as a people and country resilient.

“We are a country living on oil reserves and that together with the fact we had the leadership of a man like Simon Bolivar who promoted a doctrine of freedom, have made us resilient. We are a resilient country and that has allowed us to face the worst aggression we have faced in the last 200 years.”

He further noted that despite all the external pressure, the Venezuelan government has continued to function and even extend help to neighbors, during times of natural disasters and the height of the covid-19 pandemic.

“Nicolas Maduro has faced so much, economic blockade, terrorism, assassination attempts, ceasing of our international assets in the last decade, with very little possibility for our voice to be heard.  But that resilience has allowed us today for our voice to be heard. That is the Venezuela that has been successful. That is the Venezuela that we ask you to show the world. We hope to build this alliance, this network for communication where we can bring the truth,” Minister Gil added.

During the forum, participants formally launched the Alliance of Journalists for Communication of the Global South, an initiative aimed at sharing resources, supporting independent reporting, and pushing back against media narratives dominated by powerful Western interests.

The Alliance outlined several key goals including, promoting truthful and balanced reporting across the global south, resisting disinformation and media manipulation, creating platforms for content exchange and journalist training and giving a voice to communities that are often ignored in global headlines.

Throughout the forum, speakers emphasized that this wasn’t just a Venezuelan struggle, it was a global one. Experts from countries like South Africa, Russia, and Cuba spoke about the need for regional media independence, digital literacy, and fact-checking networks that reflect the realities of the Global South.