Venezuela: Arrest Order Targeting Exiled Military Reporter Sebastiana Barráez

Journalist accused of involvement in plot to kill President Maduro

Location: Venezuela, Caracas
Date: January 22, 2024

The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom expresses deep concern over the arrest warrant issued by the Venezuelan regime, targeting 14 people, including the highly respected journalist Sebastiana Barráez. The correspondent for Infobae, who was forced to flee her home country due to persistent harassment from the state, faces yet another attack on her credibility with this recent arrest order. The regime accuses her of involvement in a plot to assassinate President Maduro, portraying her as a threat to the state. We strongly condemn the decision of the Attorney General to issue this warrant and denounce the regime's continued efforts to stifle dissent through arrests, detentions, and baseless investigations.

On January 22, 2024, arrest warrants for exiled military reporter Sebastiana Barráez and 13 others were disclosed following the Attorney General's Office announcement of the detention of 31 civilians and soldiers. 

The arrests are connected to alleged plots against the Maduro-led government that were supposedly thwarted between May of 2023 and the initial days of 2024. The regime accuses them of "treason to the homeland" and alleges five conspiracies to "assassinate President Nicolás Maduro with the support of the United States." The plots supposedly involved several former senior army officers currently residing outside the country.

Sebastiana Barráez, who has been pursued by the Venezuelan dictatorship for years, currently resides in exile in a European country with her daughter for safety reasons. Laureano Pérez Izquierdo, the World News editor at Infobae, described the accusations against Barráez as absurd, underscoring that the dictatorship has not changed its oppressive nature.

The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela (SNTP) has also voiced its opposition to Barráez’s arrest warrant, stating that it “rejects the criminalization against the journalist Sebastiana Barráez and submission to judicial persecution as a measure to generate censorship and threaten their freedom and integrity.”

President Nicolás Maduro has frequently denounced conspiracies to overthrow him, consistently attributing such plots to the United States, the opposition, and Colombian drug traffickers. The recent claims align with previous narratives presented by Maduro, reinforcing a pattern of framing political opponents and journalists as threats to national security. CFWIJ has documented a concerning increase in press violations against women journalists in Venezuela in recent months. The controversial Essequibo referendum in December resulted in numerous press attacks, and we are concerned that with an upcoming presidential election in 2024, the harassment of journalists will continue to escalate.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom condemns the arrest order against Sebastiana Barráez. The Attorney General must rescind this warrant immediately and end its attack on the reporter.

Maduro’s regime has persistently targeted critical journalists and activists. We believe this latest round of arrests and detentions is yet another attempt to silence the media and opposition ahead of this year’s election. We urge the global community to monitor the situation closely, advocate for the release of unjustly detained people, and stand in solidarity with journalists facing persecution in Venezuela.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help women career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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