Things still aren’t going great for news reporters in Venezuela.
Noticias Telemundo correspondent Daniel Garrido was reportedly “abducted” early Tuesday morning in Caracas and held captive for several hours without any explanation.
According to the Spanish-language network, Garrido was reporting on the Univision news crew led by Jorge Ramos that was detained the day before after an interview with President Nicolas Maduro went awry.
Related: Ramos Addresses Backlash After Getting Kicked Out Of Trump’s Presser!
Garrido’s alleged kidnapping took place at 6 a.m. EST in front of the Hotel Cayena. He was covering the story when, the network said, “a group of unidentified armed men forced him into a vehicle and covered his head with a hood.”
The reporter’s equipment was seized, and he was questioned for “six hours” — after which, the kidnappers freed him “without explanation and without returning his equipment.”
No information about the identity of the abductors has been released. Read Telemundo’s full statement (below):
“Noticias Telemundo’s correspondent in Venezuela, Daniel Garrido, was abducted today at 6 am ET in the vicinity of the Hotel Cayena in La Castellana, Caracas. Daniel was covering the recent arrest and deportation of a Noticias Univision crew when a group of unidentified armed men forced him into a vehicle and covered his head with a hood. After questioning him for six hours and seizing his equipment, the kidnappers freed him without explanation and without returning his equipment.
Our priority at Noticias Telemundo is the safety of our employees. After verifying Daniel’s abduction with his family, we began a search process and proceeded to denounce the case. At 10:30 am ET, the Press Workers Union of Venezuela (SNTP in Spanish) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement via Twitter denouncing Daniel’s disappearance. At 1:20 pm ET the Noticias Telemundo team in Miami received an email by Daniel regarding his release. After contacting him directly, we confirmed that he is free and in good health.
It is not the first time that Daniel has been harassed during the exercise of his journalistic work. On previous occasions, he has been a victim of physical harassment and his equipment has been stolen.
Noticias Telemundo repudiates this type of harassment that threatens freedom of expression and human rights. It demands that the Venezuelan government guarantees our right to inform, as well as the physical integrity of journalists operating in Venezuela, as established by international agreements and local legislation.”
Wow.
So glad the reporter was released unharmed!
[Image via Telemundo.]
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