Document #1458309
Antonio Nariño Project; AMI - Colombian Association of Media; Brazilian Newspaper Association; FNPI - Gabriel García Márquez Foundation for New Iberoamerican Journalism; FLIP - Foundation for Press Freedom; Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights; et al. (Author), published by RSF – Reporters Sans Frontières
On the night of Monday, February 25, the Univision television network reported that its team deployed in Caracas, led by journalist Jorge Ramos, had been arbitrarily detained for several hours at the order of Nicolás Maduro at the Miraflores presidential palace, the seat of the Venezuelan government. The incident happened in the middle of an interview, during which Maduro apparently became annoyed by language that Ramos used to refer to him.
Following the team’s detention, Jorge Rodríguez, Maduro's Communication Minister, informed Univisión that the team was free and on their way to a hotel. In a telephone conversation broadcast live on Univision, Ramos himself confirmed that the group of six people was in good condition but that Maduro's security agents had confiscated their cameras, cell phones and the material they had recorded, after intimidating them. Ramos said that he hoped they would not encounter any problems leaving Venezuela. On the morning of Tuesday, February 26, the team was deported to the United States.
In light of the seriousness of this incident, the undersigned organizations affirm that:
Signed,
Antonio Nariño Project
Colombian Association of Media AMI
Gabriel García Márquez Foundation for New Iberoamerican Journalism (FNPI)
Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP)
José Miguel Vivanco, Director for the Americas of Human Rights Watch
Brazilian Newspaper Association
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Chile’s National Association of the Press
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
Ecuadorian Association of Newspapers editors (AEDEP)
IFEX-ALC
Association of Argentine Journalistic Entities (ADEPA)
Reporters Without Borders
International Media Support (IMS)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Inter-American Press Association (SIP)
PEN America