Venezuelan media workers detained amid post-Maduro turmoil

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 6 January 2026 |  JP Global Monitoring Desk

Venezuelan authorities briefly detained 14 media workers covering protests and the new legislature after former President Maduro's capture, with one journalist deported.

Summary

CARACAS — Venezuelan authorities briefly detained at least 14 journalists and media workers this week while they were reporting on a march supporting ousted President Nicolás Maduro and the swearing-in of a new legislative session, the National Union of Press Workers said. All were released, though one foreign journalist was deported, the union added.

The detentions occurred amid heightened political turmoil following the capture and removal of Maduro by U.S. forces and his subsequent arraignment on charges in New York.

Detentions highlight press freedom concerns

The South American nation’s press association said those detained included 11 people working for international media outlets and one from a national outlet. Venezuela’s information ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the detentions.

Journalists were covering both the march and the installation of the National Assembly when state security forces held them, searched their equipment, and later released them with restrictions on their reporting activities.

The brief detentions and the deportation of a foreign reporter underscore broader concerns about restrictions on independent journalism in Venezuela since the political upheaval began. Media rights groups have documented ongoing intimidation and arrests of journalists in recent years, often under charges that critics say are meant to curb critical coverage.

Analysts say these latest detentions could deter coverage of significant political developments in Venezuela, where control over information has long been contested and press freedoms frequently challenged by authorities.

ATTRIBUTION: Reporting compiled from Reuters and Associated Press

PHOTO: By Rafael Urdaneta Rojas from Pixabay (Representational)

KEY POINTS:

• More than a dozen media workers were detained in Caracas while covering protests and the National Assembly swearing-in
• All 14 were later released, though one foreign journalist was deported
• Detentions included journalists from international and national outlets
• Authorities have not commented on the detentions
• The actions raise renewed concerns about press freedom in Venezuela
• The events follow the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro and the ongoing political uncertainty