# Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 election

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

In the two weeks after Venezuela's disputed July 28, 2024 presidential election, Reporters Without Borders documented 70 press-freedom violations, including nine detentions, nine expulsions of foreign correspondents and the suspension of the social media platform X, as President Nicolas Maduro's government moved to control coverage of the disputed result.[1]

- Country: [Venezuela](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ve) (RSF 2026 rank: 159th of 180)
- Where: VE
- Level of government: National
- Tactics: Detention and violence, Expulsion and visa denial, Shutdowns and blocking
- Stage: Punish (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/detention_and_violence#stage-punish)
- Head of government at the time: [Nicolas Maduro](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/nicolas-maduro)
- Issue of the day: Venezuela's July 28, 2024 election, in which the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner without releasing detailed vote tallies opposition figures disputed, triggered protests and a surge of restrictions on the journalists covering them.
- Outcome: Sustained. Detained journalists faced continuing prosecution, and social-platform restrictions remained in place after the documented period.
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

In the fifteen days after Venezuela's July 28, 2024 election, Reporters Without Borders documented 70 press-freedom violations, including 18 access restrictions, 30 cases of threats or coercion, nine detentions, nine expulsions of foreign journalists and four instances of physical violence. Colombian journalists Carolina Trinidad and Vanessa de la Torre were expelled from the Caracas airport without explanation on election day, Chilean journalists Ivan Nunez and Jose Luis Tapia were held incommunicado at a military post until their embassy intervened, and Spanish journalist Alvaro Nieto was deported after a two-hour interrogation. Venezuelan photojournalists and broadcasters, including Yousnel Alvarado and Deisy Pena, were detained and, in some cases, held on terrorism-related charges. The government also opened a criminal investigation into the opposition-aligned results website ResultadosConVzla, suspended X for ten days and blocked Signal and Reddit. RSF's Latin America director said the pattern of violations showed the government's determination to limit public debate.[1][2][3]

## What reason was given

No specific public justification for the individual detentions and expulsions was documented; the government separately described the platform suspensions as necessary to prevent the spread of what it called disinformation about the election.[1][2][3]

## What changed for reporting

Foreign correspondents were expelled or detained within days of the vote, Venezuelan journalists were jailed on serious charges including terrorism, and major communication platforms were blocked or suspended, sharply narrowing independent coverage of the disputed result.[2]

## Timeline

- 2024-07-28: Venezuela detains, expels and restricts journalists after disputed 2024 election

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Nicolas Maduro](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/nicolas-maduro) | ordered | President of Venezuela |
| [Venezuelan National Guard (GNB)](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/venezuelan-national-guard) | enforced | Military internal security force |

## Sources

1. Venezuela: RSF counts 70 violations of press freedom in 15 days. https://rsf.org/en/venezuela-rsf-counts-70-violations-press-freedom-15-days (Reporters Without Borders, 2024-08-12).
2. For Venezuelan Journalists, It's Like Maduro Never Left. https://www.cjr.org/news/for-venezuelan-journalists-its-like-maduro-never-left.php (Columbia Journalism Review, 2025-01-15).

## Claims cited

[1] RSF's Latin America director said the 70 documented cases showed the government's determination to limit voices and restrict debate. Quote: "The 70 cases documented in just 15 days...demonstrate the government's determination to silence voices and limit public debate." Source: Reporters Without Borders, 2024-08-12. Venezuela: RSF counts 70 violations of press freedom in 15 days. https://rsf.org/en/venezuela-rsf-counts-70-violations-press-freedom-15-days Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/458, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] A Venezuelan video producer said staff avoided bylines and worried about being identified by government supporters. Quote: "We put in a lot of safety measures. We don't have bylines. We always have to ask ourselves: Who's going to see this? Will the Chavistas get the video?" Source: Columbia Journalism Review, 2025-01-15. For Venezuelan Journalists, It's Like Maduro Never Left. https://www.cjr.org/news/for-venezuelan-journalists-its-like-maduro-never-left.php Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/459, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] A freelance correspondent said having sensitive contacts or information could still result in imprisonment. Quote: "If you have contacts or sensitive information that you're not supposed to have, you could be thrown in jail." Source: Columbia Journalism Review, 2025-01-15. For Venezuelan Journalists, It's Like Maduro Never Left. https://www.cjr.org/news/for-venezuelan-journalists-its-like-maduro-never-left.php Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/460, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2024-venezuela-post-election-press-crackdown. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.