Venezuela: Police storm home, arrest journalist – 08/26/2024 – Al-Alam

A well-known Venezuelan journalist was arrested in Caracas on Sunday (26) by police officers who allegedly broke into her home, according to the Journalists’ Union and a local human rights organization.

The arrest came amid Venezuela’s post-election crisis following the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro.

The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela (SNTP) and the human rights organization Espacio Público said on their X (formerly Twitter) accounts that agents with a search warrant went to Carmela Longo’s apartment and detained her.

Days earlier, Longo said on his Instagram account that he had left his job at the pro-government newspaper Últimas Notícias after 20 years.

“National Police officers took away the journalist (Carmela Longo) and her son, as well as some computers,” the union said in a post on its website, which included a video showing the journalist getting into a police car with black-clad agents.

According to the union, at least eight other journalists were arrested following the presidential elections held on July 28.

According to the entity, police officials confirmed that the journalist, an expert on celebrity affairs, will be charged with “incitement to hatred” and “terrorism.” He must be brought before the Third Control Court, which specializes in terrorism cases, on Tuesday (27).

The Ministry of Information and the Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for information.

There are currently 1,674 political prisoners in the country, the highest number so far this century, legal rights NGO Foro Penal said on social media on Friday (23). This number does not include people who have been released or people who were detained for 48 hours or less.

“I note with concern the detention of journalist Carmela Longo. The repression against the press continues,” wrote Pedro Vaca, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Carmela Longo’s son was released after being interrogated at the headquarters of the Maripires Investigation Directorate (DIP), according to the SNTP.