In the midst of the deep political and economic crisis that Venezuela is experiencing, the news agency EFE reported that yesterday (Wednesday, January 30) three members of its team and a driver were detained by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin, in Spanish).
Leer en español: Secuestro y censura: detienen 3 periodistas en Venezuela
The journalists are a Spaniard, Gonzalo Domínguez Loeda, and two Colombians, Maurén Barriga Vargas and Leonardo Muñoz. After learning of the arrest of the group of journalists, RSF Spain also announced that other journalists are hunched in the same situation. Rodrigo Pérez and Gonzalo Barahona (TVN, Chile) and French reporters Pierre Caillé and Baptiste des Monstiers (TMC) were also detained by Sebin.
Además de los periodistas de EFE -el español Gonzalo Domínguez Loeda y los colombianos Maurén Barriga Vargas y Leonardo Muñoz- están detenidos Rodrigo Pérez y Gonzalo Barahona (TVN, Chile) y los reporteros franceses Pierre Caillé y Baptiste des Monstiers (TMC)RSF en español✔@RSF_esp#Venezuela Dos periodistas franceses y su productor local fueron detenidos ayer #29ene en #Caracas. Aún no han sido liberados. Desde @RSF_esp seguimos la situación de muy cerca. Son parte del equipo de producción del programa Quotidien, transmitido por el grupo TF1 en #Francia2153:06 – 31 ene. 2019Información y privacidad de Twitter Ads576 personas están hablando de estoVer imagen en Twitter
Fotografía de los tres periodistas de la Agencia EFE, los colombianos Mauren Barriga y Leonardo Muñoz, y el español Gonzalo Domínguez, detenidos en Caracas1.9703:53 – 31 ene. 20193.882 personas están hablando de estoInformación y privacidad de Twitter Ads
Initially, the news agency reported the “disappearance” of the team because they had not been able to locate them. Later, Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza, posted on his Twitter account that the “retained journalists” did not have the permits granted by the consulates to work.
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In a statement issued by EFE, the Editorial Board asked the Spanish government to immediately release the detainees. “The EFE Editorial Board has demanded the immediate release of the comrades detained in Venezuela and has asked the Spanish Government to take all the necessary steps.”
At the time of writing, the journalists were in the process of being deported. EFE reported that “they were released today and are going through a process of deportation to Colombia.” However, “it is unknown if the motorist accompanying Muñoz, José Salas, of Venezuelan nationality, was released.”