Press detentions, armed patrols mark post Maduro Venezuela

Venezuela’s authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown following the US capture of Nicolás Maduro, arresting journalists and deploying armed paramilitary groups to suppress any public expression of support for his removal, Financial Times reports.

The wave of repression has unfolded as Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy and the country’s new leader, moves to consolidate power in the aftermath of the surprise US commando operation that seized Maduro from a military base and transferred him to face trial. A state of emergency announced on January 5 has seen heavily armed paramilitary groups known as colectivos deployed across Caracas, while public displays supporting the US raid have been explicitly banned.

Media unions reported that at least 14 journalists and media workers—11 of them from foreign outlets—were detained for several hours before being released. Most of the detentions occurred near the National Assembly building as Rodríguez was formally sworn in as acting president. According to the National Syndicate for Press Workers in Venezuela, journalists were initially allowed inside the assembly but were prohibited from taking photographs or broadcasting live, before later being barred from entry altogether.

A state of emergency decree dated January 3 but published on January 5 ordered authorities to “immediately undertake the search for and arrest . . . of any person involved in the promotion of or support for the armed attack by the US against the territory of the republic.” A human rights activist in Caracas said repression intensified sharply on January 5, with security forces “going through people’s phones to see if they had anything that could be construed as support for the actions of the US,” while colectivos were “mobilised” and checkpoints erected across the capital.

The colectivos, widely feared for their role in suppressing dissent, are largely under the control of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a hardline figure who also oversees the police. Opposition leader María Corina Machado described the crackdown as “really alarming,” warning that it must be closely monitored by Washington and insisting that Venezuela’s democratic transition “needs to move forward.”

“Delcy Rodríguez . . . is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco-trafficking,” Machado said, adding that Rodríguez “is the main ally . . . of Russia, China and Iran” and therefore “could not be trusted by international investors” and is “rejected . . . by the Venezuelan people.”

Rodríguez was sworn in by her brother Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly and next in the line of succession under the constitution. Ambassadors from Russia, China and Iran were among the first to congratulate her, according to footage shared on social media.

Colombian broadcaster Caracol said its reporter Carlos Barragán and his team were detained by Venezuela’s military counter-intelligence service and questioned for nearly two hours. The identities and whereabouts of several other detained journalists remain unknown, with families fearful of reprisals if they speak out.

Maduro’s rule was marked by severe repression, with protests violently dispersed and opposition figures jailed, harassed or driven into exile. Rights group Foro Penal says Venezuela currently holds 863 political prisoners. In eastern Caracas, an opposition stronghold, streets remained largely deserted under the watch of armed colectivos.

“We can’t celebrate anything,” said a woman in the Chacao neighbourhood. “If we celebrate, the colectivos could kill us.”

Tensions remained high in the evening of January 5 when gunshots were heard near the presidential palace. A government spokesperson said the shots were fired as a warning after drones flew overhead without permission, adding: “There was no confrontation, and the entire country is completely calm.”

By Vafa Guliyeva