A journalist working for the Spanish language network Telemundo was released today after being abducted in Venezuela by unidentified armed assailants early this morning.
Noticias Telemundo correspondent Daniel Garrido was taken at roughly 6 a.m. EST in Caracas, Venezuela while he tried to cover the Venezuelan government’s detainment of Univision’s Jorge Ramos and his crew.
Telemundo, which is a part of the NBCUniversal umbrella, released the following statement in response to the abduction:
“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…
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.”
Garrido’s kidnapping took place amid widespread unrest in Venezuela. The U.S. and numerous other allied countries have called for the removal of the country’s current leader President Nicolas Maduro, while formally recognizing the state’s opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s actual president. Maduro has repeatedly rejected aid efforts as the country’s economy continues to crumble, which has led to clashes and killings on Venezuela’s border with Colombia and Brazil.
[image via screengrab]
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