Miami (January 10, 2025) -- The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) strongly condemns the forced disappearance and subsequent arbitrary detention of Venezuelan journalists Carlos Marcano, Nakary Mena Ramos, and her husband, cameraman Gianni González, who were imprisoned for carrying out their journalistic duties amidst increasing repression against independent press in Venezuela.
Carlos Marcano, a journalist, university professor, and collaborator with civil organizations, was arrested on May 23, 2025, following a warrantless raid at his residence in Caracas, according to press reports.
His whereabouts were unknown for 13 days. Although it was later revealed that he had been transferred to Tocuyito prison, his family reported on June 7 that he remains missing. The Venezuelan Press and Society Institute (IPYS Venezuela) and other national and international organizations have denounced his detention as a serious human rights violation.
Marcano, 30, was publicly accused by the Minister of Interior, Justice, and Peace Diosdado Cabello during his television program "Con el mazo dando," where he was linked to an alleged plan to incite violence during the regional and legislative elections on May 25. On the program, Cabello displayed a photograph of the journalist and implicated him without formal charges or due judicial process.
Journalist Nakary Mena Ramos was detained on April 8, 2025, along with her husband, cameraman Gianni González, after publishing a report on crime in Caracas, as reported by the human rights organization Espacio Público.
They were missing for over 48 hours. They were later charged with 'incitement to hatred' and 'publishing false information.' Mena was sent to the National Institute of Female Orientation (INOF) and her husband to El Rodeo II.
Mena's report contained testimonies from citizens detailing increased insecurity in popular areas of Caracas, contrasting with the official narrative. Following the report's release, the Impacto Venezuela portal removed it from its platforms, raising further concerns about direct or indirect pressures from the State.
Various organizations, such as the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP), have highlighted that the charges against Mena and her husband lack legal basis and aim to criminalize journalistic work. The Special Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has reiterated that the criminal charges in this case do not meet international standards and are incompatible with the right to freedom of expression.
"The criminalization of critical journalism and the use of ambiguous criminal charges like incitement to hatred are part of a systematic pattern of persecution against independent reporters," said SIP President José Roberto Dutriz, CEO and General Director of La Prensa Gráfica. "We demand the immediate release of Carlos Marcano, Nakary Mena Ramos and Gianni González, and respect for their fundamental rights."
Martha Ramos, President of the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of Press and Information, added: "These cases reflect how the judiciary is being used as an instrument of censorship. Venezuela must cease these repressive practices and comply with international standards on freedom of expression and due process."
The College of Journalists of Venezuela has recorded 16 journalists and reporters detained since the presidential elections of July 28, 2024.
The IAPA's Chapultepec Index 2024 reported in Venezuela " a broad performance in Government’s arbitrariness against citizen expression, and a limited function of the press due to closures, administrative measures and journalists detained for political reasons." The country ranked 21st out of 22 countries analyzed in the study on the behavior of freedom of expression and press freedoms.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.