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Venezuela

Venezuelan journalist Rory Branker charged on five counts day after he's released

"Rory Branker, a journalist at the online news site La Patilla was released on 4 February after 11 months and 15 days of arbitrary detention — yet Reporters Without Borders (RSF) recently received information that, the day after his release, the journalist was formally charged with at least five offences and placed under restrictive measures. […]

Venezuelan journalist Rory Branker released after nearly a year as political prisoner

"Journalist Rory Branker, editor of the digital news outlet La Patilla, was released from prison this Wednesday [Feb. 4] after 11 months and 15 days of arbitrary detention. The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP, for its acronym in Spanish) confirmed the news: family members received an official call notifying them of his release in […]

One month after Jan. 3, censorship in Venezuela shows no sign of easing

“One month after Jan. 3, Venezuela’s information space shows no signs of recovery. What has unfolded since then is a sequence of events that confirms the persistence of an environment hostile to the practice of journalism, marked by direct controls, administrative sanctions, public warnings and the repeated use of state force as a mechanism to […]

Venezuelan press union reports previously undisclosed journalist detention

"The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP, by its acronym in Spanish) denounced on Friday, Jan. 30, a new case of a detained journalist, which had not been previously reported. The journalist in question is Pedro Urribarri, a graduate of Santa María University. In its statement, the SNTP detailed that Urribarri was arrested on May […]

Journalism student released after conviction for incitement to hatred is overturned

"Venezuela’s National Union of Press Workers (SNTP for its initials in Spanish) confirmed on Sunday, Jan. 25, the release of journalism student Juan Francisco Alvarado, who had been detained for more than 10 months after being accused of the crime of inciting hatred. […] Alvarado was sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 22, to 15 years in […]

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Venezuela releases journalists and media workers

"The Caracas chapter of the National College of Journalists (CNP for its initials in Spanish) and the National Union of Press Workers (Sntp) reported Wednesday morning on the release of journalists Ramón Centeno, Rafael García Márvez, Carlos Marcano, Víctor Ugas and Leandro Palmar, as well as technician Belises Cubillán. The releases of Roland Carreño, Carlos […]

Two foreign journalists detained in Venezuela released after 17-hour detention

"The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela (SNTP, for its Spanish acronym) reported this Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, that two foreign journalists, including one Mexican, remained incommunicado and could not be located in that country. After being held for 17 hours, both journalists were released and returned to Colombian territory. The individuals involved are […]

14 journalists detained in Venezuela as legislators begin new session following US seizure of Maduro

"The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP, for its Spanish acronym) of Venezuela reported on Monday [Jan. 5] that 14 previously detained journalists have been released, on a day when the National Assembly began its 2026-2031 legislative session in Caracas. Via X (formerly Twitter), the SNTP said that one of the journalists was deported and […]

Venezuelan press union demands release of journalists detained while Maduro was in power

Two days after the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. authorities, the Venezuelan National Union of Press Workers (SNTP, by its acronym in Spanish) warned that a democratic transition in Venezuela is impossible while political persecution, censorship, arbitrary detentions and the systematic violation of fundamental rights persist. In a statement released on Jan. […]

Rory Branker disappeared; joins 5 other news professionals detained in Venezuela

"A contributor to the digital outlet La Patilla, Rory Branker, 43, was arrested on Feb. 20, 2025, in Caracas by officers of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN, for its initials in Spanish) as he was leaving his home. He spent 206 days incommunicado before his family was finally allowed to see him in a holding cell of the […]

Chilean journalist says Venezuelan intelligence held him for six hours

“Chilevisión correspondent Roberto Cox said Dec. 16 that he was detained for six hours by Venezuela’s military counterintelligence agency at a border outpost. The incident occurred after an episode at the Francisco de Paula Santander International Bridge, which connects Cúcuta, Colombia, with Ureña, Venezuela. Cox described what happened in a post on Instagram. ‘Six hours […]

News team from Argentina expelled from Venezuela

"The press team from the Argentinian channel C5N, consisting of journalists Nicolás Monafó and Adrián Salonia, and cameraman Sebastián Solís, were expelled from Maiquetía International Airport in Venezuela on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. Salonia reported on his Instagram account that after the plane landed at 2:00 a.m., the airport's immigration team demanded their documents, took […]