The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression hopes, together with the IACHR, to review the situation of Venezuelan journalists detained for political reasons in at least 10 detention centers. They asked the international community to support the request made in September of this year
This Monday the 29th, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE) called on the international community to support the request made by the IACHR to visit the country and verify its human rights situation.
In September 2025, the Inter-American Commission communicated its request to visit the country during the last quarter of 2025 to review the human rights situation, in particular the conditions of people deprived of liberty in El Helicoide.
“This visit will allow the IACHR and its RELE to directly observe the human rights situation in the country, including freedom of expression, listen to victims, authorities and representatives of civil society, identify patterns of violations and formulate concrete recommendations, constituting a key step to support the recovery of democracy and the rule of law,” it was noted in a statement.
The Rapporteurship expressed its intention to visit, in addition to Helicoide, several detention centers such as the Anti-Drug Command of the National Guard, the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Police in Boleíta (Zone 7); the National Institute for Women’s Guidance (INOF); the El Rodeo I, Rodeo II, Yare and Yare II penitentiary centers in Miranda; the Aragua Penitentiary Center (Tocorón prison); and the “La Cascada” detachment in Portuguesa.
“According to the information available, at least 20 journalists deprived of liberty remain in these facilities for the legitimate exercise of their informative work,” said RELE, which also expressed its intention to hold meetings with the Ministry of Communication, the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) and other independent actors.
The RELE – an office of the IACHR – warned about the “persistence” in violations of freedom of expression and the press in Venezuela. Since October to date, they have confirmed new arbitrary arrests of press workers such as Yorbin García, detained in Valera, Trujillo state; Joan Camargo, who was released from prison; Nicmer Evans, director of the Punto de Corte media; and José Serna, arrested in the state of Zulia.
*Read also: Vente Venezuela describes releases as a propaganda act
The Rapporteurship also denounced the closure, at the end of November, of the radio station La Radio 93.7 FM (Vargas state). The measure, he noted, is in addition to other actions “implemented by the telecommunications regulatory body, which have resulted in the closure of media outlets and the blocking of their websites, severely limiting citizens’ access to plural and diverse information.”
In the opinion of RELE, these arbitrary arrests of journalists and media closures “are framed in a broader context of state repression and persecution” that, it was assured, are registered in Venezuela after the 2024 presidential elections.
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
Post Views: 93
