"Cheryl Ann Branker, the mother of Venezuelan journalist Rory Branker, said she has been unable to contact her son for a week and still does not know his whereabouts. Branker works for the digital news outlet LaPatilla.com.
[…]
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello addressed the case on Wednesday during his TV program on state media, claiming—without presenting evidence—that Branker "was captured for extorting people through the publication of false information and other crimes."
Branker’s defense team did not respond to Cabello’s accusations. However, they told CNN that authorities have not disclosed where he is being held, nor have they been allowed to formally represent him or access case documents."
