The US Embassy in Venezuela stressed the importance of respecting press freedom and ensuring that media professionals can work without fear of reprisals. The stance comes amid a week in which more than nine journalists have been detained by security forces of the government of Nicolás Maduro.
The United States Embassy in Venezuela has rejected “the persistent use of ambiguous laws to harass, detain and arrest journalists doing their job.”
This Sunday, August 4, the embassy demanded the immediate release of all journalists who have been detained in the last week, following the presidential elections of July 28 and after the days of opposition protests against the results given by the National Electoral Council, which gave the victory of the elections to President Nicolás Maduro.
On social media, she stressed the importance of respecting press freedom and ensuring that media professionals can work without fear of reprisals. Her stance is in line with the defense of human rights and freedom of expression in the country.
We strongly condemn the continued use of ambiguous laws to harass, detain and arrest journalists for carrying out their work. We demand the immediate release of all detained journalists and that press freedom be respected, rather than feared.
— U.S. Embassy, Venezuela (@usembassyve) August 4, 2024
At least ten journalists have been arrested in the last week, according to reports from the Press Workers Union (SNTP) and the National College of Journalists (CNP).
*Read also: 22 people have died in protests and “Pimpina” is one of the victims
On the evening of August 3, Dayana Krays, a journalist from Ecuador’s La Data media outlet, was arrested. The Venezuelan journalist was apprehended as she was heading to her residence.
On Friday, August 2, the news was announced the arrest of the journalist and leader of Voluntad Popular, Roland Carreño, who between 2020 and 2023 was detained for alleged “terrorism and conspiracy.” That same day, security officials arrested Deysi Peña, a photographer from the Mayor’s Office of the Carrizal municipality, who was approached by Polimiranda officers in the Los Nuevos Teques gas station.
Foreign press professionals were also victims of detention and deportation without apparent reason. Chilean professionals Iván Núñez and José Luis Tapia, representatives of the Chilean National Television (TVN) They were approached in Chururú, Barinas state, and forced to leave the country through Cúcuta, the media reported on social media.
These attacks have been mainly physical and verbal, and intimidation by police forces and irregular armed groups loyal to the government, according to SNTP reports. This brings to eight the number of Venezuelan professionals detained by state security forces.
Post Views: 386
