October 15, 2024 - Venezuela, Caracas

President Nicolás Maduro intensifies his campaign against the press, specifically targeting Vicky Dávila, director of Colombia's Semana magazine, during a military event. He accused her of being “an accomplice of Colombian drug trafficking and paramilitaries,” further escalating his attacks on independent and international journalists.

Such accusations not only endanger Vicky but also put all journalists at risk by fostering a dangerous narrative that associates them with drug traffickers. Maduro also criticized Semana’s coverage, calling it part of a “daily psychological war” and labeling the magazine “the magazine of drug trafficking and paramilitaries.”

Women Press Freedom condemns Maduro’s attacks. We stand with Vicky and all journalists facing such unjust stigmatization.