Veteran Univision Anchor Jorge Ramos Briefly Detained at Venezuelan Presidential Palace
Univision’s veteran anchor Jorge Ramos and a TV crew have been released after being briefly detained in Caracas, Venezuela, the network announced Monday.
According to the network, Ramos and five other staffers were held at the presidential palace for about three hours while interviewing embattled President Nicolás Maduro.
Univision spokesman Jose Zamora told CNN that Maduro objected to Ramos’ questions about the current political crisis. Maduro and his government have been under increasing international pressure amid protests fueled by hyperinflation, power cuts and food and medicine shortages.
“Very shortly into the interview, Maduro didn’t like the line of questioning, and they stopped the interview,” Zamora said.
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He also said government aides confiscated the network’s equipment. According to Zamora, Univision’s news executives were able to find out what happened because “Jorge managed to call us.” But “in the middle of the call, they took his phone away,” Zamora said.
Happy to report @jorgeramosnews and the @Univison team have been released. Here he is on his phone in his hotel after he was released this evening. pic.twitter.com/Pl2P1B5SHs
— Univision News (@UnivisionNews) February 26, 2019
???? CONFIRMED: @jorgeramosnews and the @univision crew have been released. Their equipment, cellphones and the interview material was confiscated in another attack to freedom of press. #pressfreedom pic.twitter.com/2XdKCR1VtV
— Jose Zamora (@jczamora) February 26, 2019
The network contacted the U.S. State Department. Kimberly Breier, the assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs, tweeted, “We insist on their immediate release; the world is watching.”
.@StateDept has received word the journalist @jorgeramosnews and his team are being held against their will at Miraflores Palace by Nicolas Maduro. We insist on their immediate release; the world is watching. #Venezuela
— Kimberly Breier (@WHAAsstSecty) February 26, 2019
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According to CNN, after the team was released, Univision aired a special report, with Ramos joining by phone.
Ramos, 60, said Maduro “got up from the interview after I showed him the videos of some young people eating out of a garbage truck.”
“They interrogated us. They put us in a security room. They turned off the lights,” he said.
Ramos called the episode a “violation” and said Maduro’s aides still had the tapes: “They have stolen our work and are trying to keep what is happening from airing,” he said.
CNN reports that Daniel Coronell, Univision’s president of news, confirmed the material is now in the hands of government officials.
Ramos has had a difficult history with President Donald Trump; he was removed from a press conference held by the then-candidate in August 2015.
