A recent Vice documentary investigating claims that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis authorized the force-feeding of prisoners while he was a Navy officer stationed at Guantanamo Bay has been shelved by Paramount, the parent company of its broadcaster, due to fears of potential political consequences. According to Semafor, Paramount’s lobbyist in Washington, DC, DeDe Lea, raised concerns about the documentary’s airing, titled ‘The Guantanamo Candidate,’ in light of DeSantis’ history of using legal tactics against their competitor Disney. The decision to halt the documentary came just one day after DeSantis announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
The documentary, which had already undergone content vetting by Vice and cable network Showtime, was notified just four days before its scheduled premiere that “the broader network teams are taking a deeper internal look” at the film, resulting in an indefinite delay.
An anonymous source within Vice referred to this decision as “blatant corporate censorship for political gain,” alleging that Showtime failed to provide any explanation and suggesting that executives delayed the documentary out of fear of possible retaliation from DeSantis. It is believed that DeSantis already held a grudge against Paramount due to declining streaming ratings, while Vice was also experiencing bankruptcy issues. Moreover, DeSantis’ recent public attacks on Disney may have further influenced the decision to shelve the documentary.
The Vice documentary featured interviews with a former detainee who claimed that DeSantis was present during force-feedings at Guantanamo Bay, which were condemned as torture by the United Nations. The detainee described DeSantis as smiling and laughing with other officers while he screamed in pain. When confronted by Vice’s reporter earlier this year, DeSantis denied these claims.
However, a 2018 interview revealed that DeSantis advised a commanding officer on the practice of force-feeding hunger-striking detainees and outlined the “rules” for doing so. The United Nations declared force-feeding to be a form of torture in February 2006, a month prior to DeSantis’ arrival at Guantanamo. DeSantis later modified his account of the episode to place the responsibility for decision-making on his superiors.
The documentary also touched on DeSantis’ alleged involvement in a cover-up of the killing of three leaders of a hunger strike. According to former prison guard Joe Hickman, the men were killed by US officials, contradicting the official claim of a suicide pact. It should be noted that while DeSantis was mentioned in relation to the cover-up, he would not have had the authority to approve such actions, as confirmed by his former commanding officer, who declined to be interviewed.
The decision to shelve the Vice documentary raises concerns about freedom of the press and the influence of politics on media content. Critics argue that the decision reflects a potential suppression of information that could be damaging to a political candidate’s reputation. As discussions surrounding this incident continue, it remains uncertain if the documentary will ever see the light of day or if its contents will be made public in the future.
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