On 20 February 2025, officers from Venezuela’s Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) intercepted Rory Branker in Caracas and forced him into a vehicle. Authorities also raided his home, confiscating two laptops and two mobile phones. Initially, the agents reportedly stated that they were going to take him to the El Helicoide detention centre; however, shortly afterwards his family lost contact with him for 206 days. 

On 26 February 2025, Venezuela’s Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, stated on his television programme Con el mazo dando that Branker “was captured for extorting people through the publication of false information and other crimes (...) to create media narratives against the government and the people of Venezuela”. These allegations show how the persecution of Rory Branker is linked to his work. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures in favour of Rory Branker, in the belief that he faces a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to his rights to life and personal integrity, on 29 August 2025. 

Rory Branker’s detention exemplifies the Venezuelan authorities’ ongoing crackdown on independent journalism, and critical voices. PEN International reiterates calls on the government to abide by its national and international obligations, to fully respect fundamental rights, and to immediately release him. 

The persecution of journalists in Venezuela has intensified since the presidential elections on 28 July 2024. PEN International has documented at least ten cases of journalists arbitrarily detained in possible retaliation for their work and the exercise of their freedom of expression, facing baseless charges including “terrorism”, “incitement to hatred”, and “criminal association” — accusations that carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison. 

The IACHR, through its ongoing monitoring, has recorded a wide range of violations against freedom of expression in Venezuela. These include arbitrary searches, violence against journalists during protests, the confiscation or revocation of passports belonging to journalists and human rights defenders, extortion, censorship, stigmatisation, and threats by state authorities. The IACHR has also noted the closure of radio stations, restrictions on online content, and extensive digital surveillance. 

In response to these pressures, many journalists have felt compelled to take measures for their own protection, including self-censorship. Numerous media workers have fled the country, further undermining Venezuela’s already fragile independent media sector. 

In the period surrounding the presidential elections on 28 July 2024 — which, according to the Carter Center, failed to meet international standards for electoral integrity and cannot be considered fully democratic — there was a sharp increase in attacks against members of the press. 

Since that time, reports of harassment, detention, and enforced disappearances of journalists have continued. With support from the Venezuelan NGO Espacio Público, PEN International has documented the cases of journalists who have been arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared due to their reporting or for voicing critical opinions about the authorities.