Spanish news agency EFE said Wednesday that three of its reporters in Caracas, two of whom Colombian, were taken from the office by Venezuela’s intelligence agency.

According to the news agency, Colombian photojournalist Leonardo Muñoz disappeared on Wednesday morning and is allegedly detained by the country’s Military Counterintelligence Directorate (DGCIM).

The journalist and his Venezuelan driver were on their way to cover protest demanding the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro when they lost contact with the newsroom.

In the evening, agents of the Venezuelan intelligence agency SEBIN raided EFE’s office in Caracas and arrested Colombian reporter Mauren Barriga and her Spanish colleague Gonzalo Dominguez, said the news agency.

Following their arrest, the journalists reportedly were first taken to their hotel to pick up their belongings and then taken in for interrogation.

EFE’s bureau chief in Caracas, Nelida Fernandez, and the journalists’ attorney followed their colleagues in an attempt to seek clarification about why they were taken and demand their liberation.

The three journalists traveled from Colombia to Venezuela earlier this month to cover the ongoing crisis in the neighboring country.

Venezuela’s journalist syndicate SNTP announced on Thursday that the EFE journalists will be deported to their native countries.

According to Reporters Without Borders, four more foreign reporters, two from Chile and two from France, are also being held by Venezuelan authorities. They were allegedly arrested on Tuesday.

Venezuela arrests two Colombian and five other foreign correspondents was last modified: by </s> Two French television reporters arrested in Venezuela on Wednesday have been freed, according to the country's ministry for foreign affairs.

The Venezuelan government also released the three journalists working for the Spanish news agency EFE, said the agency itself. All of them will be deported to Colombia.

The journalists were arrested in Caracas on Wednesday by members of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin).

It is still unknown whether the driver, who has Venezuelan nationality, was also freed.

The French reporters — named as Pierre Caillé and Baptiste des Monstiers — work for the "Quotidien" programme broadcast on the TV channel TMC. They were detained on Tuesday evening as they filmed the presidential palace in Caracas.

Their producer in the country, Rolando Rodriquez, was also held, the main Venezuelan journalists' union the SNTP added.

The Spanish branch of Reporters without borders confirmed the news on Twitter and said it was "following the situation very closely."

The French foreign affairs ministry on Thursday, said Paris "demands the release" of the two French journalists arrested in Venezuela.

It previously asked for the right to "consular protection" according to the Vienna convention and the right to visit. "Quotidien" tweeted that to say more risked aggravating the journalists' plight.

The Spanish said in a statement on Thursday that it "wholeheartedly" rejected the arrests of the Spanish journalists in Caracas. "Through the Embassy in Caracas, all necessary steps are being taken to secure their release as soon as possible," it added.

Two Colombian journalists, Mauren Barriga and Leonardo Muñoz and a Spanish journalist Gonzalo Domínguez were the ones detained.

The three journalists are part of a team that travelled from Bogotá, Colombia to cover the crisis in Venezuela.

The lack of accreditation by the Venezuelan government was Sebin's argument for arresting the journalists.

EFE's Editorial Board demanded the immediate release of its "three comrades" in a tweet, adding: "There is no democracy without freedom of information."

The SNTP also said that two television journalists from Chile, arrested on Tuesday night, had been expelled from the country. The Chilean foreign minister Roberto Ampuero accused Venezuela of trampling on press freedom.

Venezuela's foreign minister Jorge Areaza has blamed foreign journalists for entering the country without having secured work permits. The organisation Reporters Without Borders has denounced "violence by security forces against journalists" from Venezuela and abroad.

It comes as the US envoy to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams has cautioned socialist President Nicolas Maduro for acting against the self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaidó.

Abrams said the US will keep the pressure on Maduro to step down by applying further sanctions and search globally for assets.

"The security of interim president Guaidó is a concern," Abrams told a group of reporters. </s> The Spanish government on Thursday demanded the immediate release of journalists working for the Spanish news agency EFE who were arrested in Venezuela. Madrid “strongly condemns” the detention in Caracas of four members of a team from Spanish news agency EFE by Venezuela’s state intelligence agency Sebin, the Foreign Ministry said. Spain demands that “the competent authorities release them immediately,” it said, adding that Madrid “again asks the Venezuelan authorities to respect the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The three EFE journalists – a Spanish reporter, a Colombian videographer and a Colombian photographer – were arrested along with their Venezuelan driver on Wednesday, Reuters reports. Two French journalists from the TV channel TMC were detained on Tuesday as they filmed the presidential palace in Caracas and have not been heard from since, Venezuela’s main journalists’ union, the SNTP, said. Two Chilean journalists who were also arrested on Tuesday near the presidential palace “were kicked out of Venezuela” on Wednesday, it added. </s> Madrid on Thursday demanded the immediate release of journalists working for the Spanish news agency EFE who were arrested in Venezuela as part of a crackdown by Caracas on foreign media.

The Spanish government "strongly condemns" the detention in Caracas of four members of a team from Spanish news agency EFE by Venezuela's state intelligence agency Sebin, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The government demands that the competent authorities release them immediately. The government again asks the Venezuelan authorities to respect the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, of which freedom of the press is a central element," it added.

The three EFE journalists -- a Spanish reporter, a Colombian videographer and a Colombian photographer -- were arrested along with their Venezuelan driver on Wednesday, according to the Spanish news agency.

Two French journalists from the TV channel TMC were detained on Tuesday as they filmed the presidential palace in Caracas and have not been heard from since, according to Venezuela's main journalists' union, the SNTP.

Two Chilean journalists who were also arrested on Tuesday near the presidential palace were kicked out of Venezuela on Wednesday, the union added.

The arrests come shortly after Venezuela's opposition, which is challenging President Nicolas Maduro's legitimacy as the country's leader, appealed for fresh street protests to demand a transition government and new elections.

"They can not prevent the world from knowing what is happening in Venezuela," opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president last week, wrote on Twitter. </s> CARACAS: Venezuelan authorities detained three foreign journalists and a driver working for the Spanish news agency EFE on Wednesday, the company said, in the latest arrests of reporters covering US-backed efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

Colombian photographer Leonardo Muñoz was arrested with his Venezuelan driver Jose Salas while reporting on protests against the government.

Hours later intelligence officers detained Spanish reporter Gonzalo Domínguez Loeda and Colombian TV producer Mauren Barriga Vargas at their hotel, EFE`s bureau chief in Caracas, Nelida Fernandez said.

The entire team had travelled from Bogota earlier in the month. The arrests follow the deportation of two Chilean reporters detained this week. A French diplomatic source said on Wednesday that two French reporters covering the turmoil had been arrested and that the French Embassy was seeking their release.

"Our Embassy has requested consular protection in accordance with the Vienna Convention and in particular the right of access," the source said. The French reporters were working for daily television programme Quotidien, part of the TF1 television network. TF1 declined to comment.

Accused of election fraud, and overseeing a deep economic collapse that has led millions of Venezuelans to migrate, Maduro is facing the biggest challenge to his rule since replacing Hugo Chavez six years ago.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido has won the backing of the most countries in the Western Hemisphere since declaring himself interim president last week and calling for fresh elections.

Maduro says the strategy to topple him is a coup, led by hawks in the Trump administration such as Special Envoy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams, a veteran diplomat involved in the armed interventions in Central America in the 1980s.

France said on Wednesday that Maduro appeared not to be heeding calls for new presidential elections and that European foreign ministers would discuss next steps at a meeting in Bucharest on Thursday. </s> CARACAS/MADRID (Reuters) - Venezuela freed on Thursday two French, two Colombian and one Spanish journalist detained in recent days while covering the political turmoil engulfing President Nicolas Maduro.

The socialist government has long had a spiky relationship with Western media, which it largely considers hostile and in league with “imperialist” interests.

Short detentions and deportations have become common, especially as reporters facing lengthy bureaucracy for official permissions seek shortcuts to report in Venezuela.

French TV show Quotidien, which is part of the TF1 network, said its journalists Baptiste des Monstiers and Pierre Caille were released and heading back to Paris.

Spain’s government confirmed that three detained journalists working for EFE news agency - Colombian photographer Leonardo Muñoz, Spanish reporter Gonzalo Domínguez Loeda and Colombian TV producer Mauren Barriga Vargas - had also been freed.

A Venezuelan driver with the EFE team was also released.

Maduro, the 56-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez, is facing the biggest challenge of his rule since opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president and received the backing of numerous nations including the United States.

The journalists’ arrests had brought diplomatic protests.

“We firmly believe that all journalists should be able to exercise their duties, responsibilities and rights in their work,” European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters in Bucharest.

There was no immediate confirmation from Venezuelan officials. </s> CARACAS/MADRID (REUTERS) - Venezuelan authorities detained three foreign journalists and a driver working for the Spanish news agency EFE on Wednesday (Jan 30), the company said, in the latest arrests of reporters covering US-backed efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

Colombian photographer Leonardo Muñoz was arrested with his Venezuelan driver Jose Salas while reporting on protests against the government.

Hours later intelligence officers detained Spanish reporter Gonzalo Domínguez Loeda and Colombian TV producer Mauren Barriga Vargas at their hotel, EFE's bureau chief in Caracas, Ms Nelida Fernandez said.

The entire team had travelled from Bogota earlier in the month.

The Spanish government condemned the detentions and called on Caracas to release the journalists and the driver immediately. All four work for Spanish state-owned EFE, the fourth largest news agency in the world.

"(Spain's) government demands their immediate liberation ... The government again requires that Venezuela's authorities respect the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, of which freedom of the press is a central element," it said in a statement on Thursday.

The arrests followed the deportation of two Chilean reporters detained this week. A French diplomatic source said on Wednesday that two French reporters covering the turmoil had been arrested and that the French Embassy was seeking their release.

"Our Embassy has requested consular protection in accordance with the Vienna Convention and in particular the right of access," the source said.

The French reporters were working for daily television programme Quotidien, part of the TF1 television network. TF1 declined to comment.

Accused of election fraud, and overseeing a deep economic collapse that has led millions of Venezuelans to migrate, Mr Maduro is facing the biggest challenge to his rule since replacing Mr Hugo Chavez six years ago.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido has won the backing of most countries in the Western Hemisphere since declaring himself interim president last week and calling for fresh elections.

Mr Maduro says the strategy to topple him is a coup, led by hawks in the Trump administration such as Special Envoy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams, a veteran diplomat involved in the armed interventions in Central America in the 1980s.

France said on Wednesday that Mr Maduro appeared not to be heeding calls for new presidential elections and that European foreign ministers would discuss next steps at a meeting in Bucharest on Thursday. </s> Colombian photojournalist Leonardo Munoz, working for Spain's international news agency EFE, who went missing on Wednesday in Caracas was detained by Venezuelan authorities along with two other colleagues, one Spaniard and one Colombian.

Munoz along with the two others arrived in Caracas from Bogota and were on assignment for EFE to cover the Venezuelan crisis. </s> Bachelet “concerned” about the arrest of Venezuelan journalist and activist Luis Carlos Díaz

Luis Carlos Diaz, a Venezuelan journalist who is an expert in networks and critical of the Nicolás Maduro regime, was arrested on Monday, without capture order, by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) after leaving his radio program, denounced his wife and colleague Naky Soto. On Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, referred to the arrest and asked the authorities for “urgent access” for her technical mission in Venezuela to Díaz.

I am deeply concerned about the alleged detention of the reputed journalist by the Venezuelan intelligence services, and for his well-being, the High Commissioner said on Twitter.

Since Monday, the technical work mission of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) prior to Bachelet's visit has been in Venezuela. The work team will meet with government leaders, representatives of the National Assembly, with civil society organizations and with victims of human rights violations, the international organization told in a press release.

Diaz, who is accused by the Maduro’s regime of committing computer crimes by participating in alleged sabotage to the Venezuelan electricity grid that has left most of the country in shadows since last week, is being held at El Helicoide, intelligence headquarters.

On Monday, Diosdado Cabello, Chavismo strong man and president of the pro-government National Constituent Assembly, showed a video on his television program Con el Mazo Dando where the prominent journalist appears explaining what a blackout is, accusing him of having explained the plan that an opposition sector used to generate the “sabotage” that was recorded on Thursday.

Díaz was missing for several hours. Neither his wife nor his colleagues knew anything about him until the SEBIN showed up with him handcuffed in his house, to conduct a raid in which they seized and removed computers, pen drives, cell phones, money, and a hard drive, his wife reported.
Colombian, Spanish and French journalists are arrested and detained by SEBIN agents in Caracas. All four work for Spanish news agency EFE. The arrests follow the deportation of two Chilean journalists yesterday.