Venezuela: PEN International calls for urgent guarantees for press freedom
Image Credit: Cristian Hernandez / Associated Press
“When journalists and writers are harassed, detained or deported for doing their work, the public’s right to information is undermined. PEN International condemns the arbitrary detention of journalists in Venezuela and calls on the authorities to immediately release those still imprisoned, to end all forms of intimidation against the press, and to restore conditions that allow journalists to work safely and without fear of persecution”. Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International
8 January 2026: PEN International is deeply alarmed by the further deterioration of freedom of expression and press freedom in Venezuela, marked by a renewed wave of arbitrary detentions, intimidation, surveillance and censorship targeting journalists and media workers. These practices form part of a sustained pattern of repression that has intensified in recent days.
On 5 January 2026, at least 14 journalists and media workers were temporarily detained in Caracas while covering events surrounding the inauguration of the National Assembly, Venezuela’s federal legislature, and the inauguration of Delcy Rodríguez as acting president. The detentions took place two days after a pre-dawn raid by US troops in Caracas captured Nicolás Maduro.
According to local and international press freedom organisations and media reports, 13 of those detained were affiliated with international media outlets and one with a national outlet. Most were arbitrarily detained for several hours by security forces before being released without formal judicial proceedings, with one journalist subsequently deported. During their detention, security officials reportedly searched journalists’ equipment, forced them to unlock their mobile phones, reviewed private communications and deleted journalistic material. The detentions followed additional incidents on 4 January, when officials temporarily detained members of the Univision Noticias press team while they were reporting on a security operation at the Colombia–Venezuela border.
Journalists in Venezuela face systematic obstacles to their work, including arbitrary arrests, lack of access to due process, confiscation and deletion of journalistic material, digital surveillance and restrictions on movement. Many are subjected to criminal charges without access to independent legal defence or fair judicial guarantees, reinforcing a climate of fear that directly impacts the public’s right to information.
These recent events cannot be understood in isolation. They are part of a broader pattern of repression against journalists, writers, human rights defenders and critical voices that has intensified since the presidential elections of July 2024. National and international organisations, including PEN International, have documented arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, judicial harassment, censorship and the closure of media outlets, alongside the blocking of news websites and the imposition of restrictive administrative measures.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has warned of persistent and serious violations of freedom of expression in Venezuela. Since October 2025 alone, several journalists have been arbitrarily detained in different regions across the country, while radio stations have been shut down and independent media further restricted. These measures contribute to an environment in which journalists are deliberately silenced or forced into self-censorship.
Despite some recent releases, journalists including Rory Branker remain imprisoned in Venezuela in retaliation for their journalistic work. Their ongoing arbitrary detention is emblematic of the country’s dire freedom of expression environment, and they must be released immediately and unconditionally.
PEN International will continue to closely monitor developments in Venezuela and to work with partners to document violations against journalists and writers. PEN International urges the Venezuelan authorities to :guarantee that journalists can carry out their professional duties freely, without fear of persecution, intimidation, surveillance or arbitrary detention; to immediately release all journalists arbitrarily detained for their journalistic work.
Venezuela must uphold its international obligations regarding freedom of expression, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, and other international and regional treaties signed and ratified by the Venezuelan State; and authorise an in-country visit by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Note to editors:
For further information, please contact Alicia Quiñones, Head of the Americas Region at PEN International: [email protected].
For media enquiries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, Head of Communications and Campaigns at PEN International: [email protected].