UPDATE: Jorge Ramos and Univision Team Freed After Being Detained in Venezuela for Questioning Maduro
Estas son las imágenes que @jorgeramosnews le mostró a Nicolás Maduro y que provocaron que Maduro se levantara de la entrevista, que retuvieran al equipo de Univision y que confiscaran su trabajo. Esto es lo que Maduro no quiere que vea el mundo. pic.twitter.com/UfSZ3lr5Jm
— Enrique Acevedo (@Enrique_Acevedo) February 26, 2019
A group of Univision journalists was reportedly detained in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela on Monday after asking Nicholas Maduro questions that he did not like and showing him a video (above) showing people eating from the trash.
They have since been released, according to Wall Street Journal‘s Ben Mullin, who spoke to Univision’s Jose Zamora.
Univision's @jczamora tells me Mr. Ramos and his team have been released after being detained during an interview with President Maduro.
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) February 26, 2019
ABC’s Joshua Hoyos tweeted out that according to Ramos who spoke to Univision on the phone, the incident was prompted by “a video of young people eating food from a garbage truck.”
He added: “Ramos says the team was separated and interrogated, the tape of the interview and personal belongings were taken away.”
Jorge Ramos tells Univision on the phone from Caracas that Maduro left their interview after showing Maduro video of young people eating food from a garbage truck. Ramos says the team was separated and interrogated, the tape of the interview & personal belongings were taken away.
— Joshua Hoyos (@JoshuaHoyos) February 26, 2019
Buzzfeed added in their own report of the detainment that during the phone call with Univision that Ramos said that Maduro’s people robbed the team of their work.
“They robbed us of our work, they robbed us of our equipment,” Ramos told Univision after his release. “They don’t want the world to see what happens when their leader is questioned.”
Univision News’ Daniel Coronell first reported the news, noting the group was led by anchor Jorge Ramos.
Atención: Un grupo periodístico de @Univision, encabezado por @jorgeramosnews, está arbitrariamente retenido en el Palacio de Miraflores en Caracas porque a @NicolasMaduro no le gustaron sus preguntas. También están confiscados los equipos técnicos.
— Daniel Coronell (@DCoronell) February 26, 2019
Univision also tweeted out that the group was detained at the Miraflores Palace and that their technical equipment had been confiscated.
Attention: A @Univision team, headed by @jorgeramosnews, is being arbitrarily detained at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. They were interviewing @NicolasMaduro but he didn't like the questions. Their technical equipment was also confiscated. https://t.co/c45tB0E4er
— Univision News (@UnivisionNews) February 26, 2019
Univision further added in a report on that Maduro did not like the questions, ordered the recording stopped and then detained the journalistic team.
The members of the team were listed by Univision as including María Martínez, Claudia Rondón, Francisco Urreiztieta, Juan Carlos Guzmán, Martín Guzmán and Jorge Ramos.
The Director of Human Rights Watch’s Americas division called the detainment “arbitrary” and called for their immediate release.
** URGENT ** @jorgeramosnews, prominent anchor of prestigious news channel @UniNoticias, has been arbitrarily detained with his crew in Venezuela’s presidential palace following orders of Maduro. They should be immediately released.
— José Miguel Vivanco (@JMVivancoHRW) February 26, 2019
Sen. Marco Rubio also weighed in.
.@NicolasMaduro has detained a United States citizen & journalist @Univision anchor @jorgeramosnews & his news crew & seized their equipment because he didn’t like the questions he was being asked. https://t.co/MQdbzbvljl
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 26, 2019
Rubio added that according to reports, Ramos was “able to call his office and was in the middle of explaining that Maduro had detained him when the phone was taken from him and the call ended.”
Apparently @jorgeramosnews was able to call his office & was in the middle of explaining that #Maduro had detained him when the phone was taken from him & the call ended. https://t.co/1ob2FtWuYK
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 26, 2019
He later tweeted this:
This tweet from the “Baghdad Bob” of #MaduroRegime claims that @UnivisionNews crew was never detained & this is all orchestrated by the U.S. State Department.
This is a very compelling explanation given the close alliance between Pres. Trump & @jorgeramosnews. https://t.co/PZHc6LUslE
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 26, 2019
The State Department also confirmed Ramos and his team were held “against their will” in the palace.
.@StateDept ha recibido notificación de que el periodista @jorgeramosnews y su equipo están detenidos contra su voluntad en el palacio de Miraflores por Nicolás Maduro. Insistimos en su liberación inmediata; el mundo esta mirando. #Venezuela
— Kimberly Breier (@WHAAsstSecty) February 26, 2019
[image via screengrab]
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