Venezuelan president asks scribes to defend country with truth

CARACAS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Wednesday called on communications professionals to defend the country "with the truth."

"We defend Venezuela with the truth. The nation which triumphs over difficulties!" Maduro wrote on his official Twitter account.

Venezuela celebrates the National Day of Journalists on June 27 annually.

Maduro also paid tribute to the Correo del Orinoco, a newspaper founded by Venezuela's national hero Simon Bolivar in 1818, on its bicentennial, calling it "the most important newspaper for Venezuela's independence."

A state-owned newspaper by the same name was launched from Caracas in 2009.