Venezuela expels or denies entry to dozens of foreign journalists covering anti-government protests
During 2016 to 2018 protests against President Nicolas Maduro's government, Venezuelan authorities expelled, deported or denied entry to dozens of foreign correspondents, most citing bureaucratic pretexts such as visa irregularities rather than a stated substantive reason.123
- Country
- Venezuela (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180)
- Where
- VE
- Level of government
- National
- Tactic
- Expulsion and visa denial
- Stage
- Punish (see the ladder)
- Head of government at the time
- Nicolas Maduro
- Issue of the day
- Sustained anti-government street protests in Venezuela in 2016 and 2017 over the economic crisis and President Maduro's moves to consolidate power.
- Outcome
- Ongoing, January 25, 2018. The pattern of expulsions and entry denials continued into 2018 and 2019 with no announced change in policy in the sources reviewed.
- Era
- The 2010s
What happened
As protests against President Nicolas Maduro's government intensified from 2016 into 2018, Venezuelan immigration and intelligence agencies expelled, deported or refused entry to dozens of foreign correspondents. On September 1, 2017, during a major opposition demonstration, authorities expelled five Al Jazeera English journalists, including Teresa Bo and John Holman, along with reporters for Le Monde, Colombia's Caracol, NPR and the Miami Herald. Brazilian television reporter Leandro Stoliar, detained for ten hours in 2016 while investigating a corruption case, said, "I felt like a prisoner, like a criminal." Authorities gave varied, often bureaucratic reasons, citing visa irregularities, missing equipment paperwork or unspecified immigration violations, rather than a single stated policy. Reporters Without Borders' Emmanuel Colombie said the pattern of inconsistent reasons "creates [a] climate of uncertainty and constitutes [a] threat to freedom of information." The expulsions continued into 2018 and 2019, affecting journalists from France, Spain, Peru, Argentina and elsewhere.123
What reason was given
Authorities cited varied administrative reasons in different cases, including visa irregularities, missing equipment paperwork and unspecified immigration violations, rather than a single stated policy for expelling foreign correspondents.123
What changed for reporting
Dozens of foreign correspondents were expelled, deported or refused entry over roughly two years; RSF's Emmanuel Colombie said the inconsistency of the reasons given "creates [a] climate of uncertainty and constitutes [a] threat to freedom of information."2
Timeline
2017
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Maduro | ordered | President of Venezuela |
Sources
Claims cited
- A detained Brazilian journalist said he felt like a prisoner during his ten-hour detention.
I felt like a prisoner, like a criminal
Foreign journalists not welcome in Venezuela, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 2018-01-25. Claim 310, checked 2026-09-22. - RSF said the inconsistency of reasons given for expulsions created uncertainty and threatened press freedom.
lack of grounds or inconsistency of reasons given...creates climate of uncertainty and constitutes threat to freedom of information
Foreign journalists not welcome in Venezuela, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 2018-01-25. Claim 311, checked 2026-09-22. - Detained journalists were called state terrorists and threatened with imprisonment.
state terrorists
Foreign journalists not welcome in Venezuela, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 2018-01-25. Claim 312, checked 2026-09-22.