El Universal (Caracas)
El Universal is a major Venezuelan newspaper, headquartered in Caracas. "El Universal" is part of the Latin American Newspaper Association (Spanish, "Periodicals Associates Latin-Americans"), an organization of leading newspapers in Latin America. Its main rival is "El Nacional." The newspaper does not disclose circulation figures. History. "El Universal" was founded in April 1909 in Caracas by the Venezuelan poet Andrés Mata and his friend Andrés Vigas, being the oldest of current Venezuelan newspapers. Political stance and editorial opinion. On the morning of 13 April 2002, when the removal of Hugo Chavez in what later came to  be referred to as the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt appeared a success, the paper headlined "¡Un Paso Adelante!" (One Step Forward!). The newspaper was described as pro-opposition by "The Guardian" in 2008, by the BBC in 2013 and by Reuters numerous times between 2011 and 2014. On 5 July 2014, it was announced that after 105 years of ownership, the Mata family had sold a controlling stake in the newspaper to a Spanish investment firm linked to the Venezuelan government, Politician S.L., a firm that "was created with the purpose of acquiring" "El Universal". According to the Committee  to Protect Journalists (CPJ), "El Universal" "cosied up to Venezuela's socialist government" following the purchase. The CPJ wrote that staff complained about censorship by their editors and there had been firings and resignations at the newspaper.