Six Venezuelan journalists arrested during Maduro's post-election regime

CV NEWS FEED // In the wake of Maduro's highly controversial presidential election, at least six journalists were arrested under his government. This is the highest number of journalists imprisoned in decades.

Havana Times These journalists are reportedly accused of terrorism, incitement to violence and hate crimes. Many of the journalists were arrested while covering protests against the current government and face 30 years in prison if convicted.

“The erosion of press freedom in Venezuela began even before the election,” Havana Times stated, “since during its 11 years in office, the Maduro government has shut down television and radio stations, blocked news websites, confiscated newspapers, and stoked fear and self-censorship.”

Since the election, however, the situation has “deteriorated dramatically” as the government has imposed internet shutdowns and blocked communications platforms.

Maduro's regime has also taken journalist Ana Carolina Guaita hostage and only offered to release her if her mother, Xiomara Barreto, who worked for the opposition election campaign, turns herself in.

Barreto rejected the proposal and has remained in hiding. In a voice recording posted on social media after Guiata's arrest, Barreto told the government: “You are causing great harm to an innocent person just because you could not arrest me.”

Other journalists are fleeing Venezuela to avoid arrest. One of these journalists stated anonymously: “There is so much fear,” adding that government authorities “don't care if you're innocent. I've never felt so fragile and vulnerable.”

The journalists who remain in Venezuela are taking precautions: for example, they are staying off camera, leaving their names off their articles, deleting photos, text messages and emails from their phones, going to opposition rallies undercover or avoiding these protests altogether.

A project called Operación Retuit (Operation Retweet) publishes journalists' stories and narrates them using AI avatars to protect the journalists.

Havana Times states that more than 2,000 “anti-government protesters and opposition activists” have been arrested since the July 28 election. Nicolás Maduro's opponent Edmundo González fled to Spain to seek political asylum.