Tension worsens in Venezuela after another arrest of journalists

The arrest of three journalists from the Spanish news agency EFE by the Venezuelan intelligence services in Caracas, have sparked calls for the immediate release of Spain and the European Union (EU), which has heightened tensions today as the EU bloc gets ready to ignore the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

"The government, through our embbady in Caracas, is making every effort to secure their release as soon as possible", said today in a statement the Spanish executive power led by Pedro Sánchez. The request was supported by the head of European diplomacy, the Italian Federica Mogherini, who expressed his "total solidarity" with the EFE team arrested in the Venezuelan capital.

"The European Union clearly demands that every journalist be released that he was arrested for no reason, "said Federica Mogherini.The people arrested are the Spanish journalist Gonzalo Domínguez Loeda, the Colombian Mauren Barriga Vargas, the Colombian photographer Leonardo Muñoz and his Venezuelan driver José Salas.

The three journalists came from Bogotá to cover the growing political crisis in Venezuela Since last week, Juan Guiadó, head of the National Assembly (Parliament), majority of the opposition, has been appointed interim president of the Caribbean country.

The arrests take place two days before the deadline set by the EU in Maduro., at the request of Spain, among other countries, to call for elections as a way out of the crisis, otherwise the bloc will recognize Guaidó as a legitimate president, as have already done the United States, Argentina and several other countries.

Anticipating this decision, the European Parliament recognized Guaidó as a legitimate acting president, during a session during which he also requested the release of journalists from the EFE team.

According to the testimony of other journalists of EFE in Caracas, members of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin) appeared last night at the office of the agency where they arrested Domínguez Loeda and Barriga Vargas, while Muñoz was arrested by the Military Counterintelligence Directorate (Dgcim).

The editorial board of EFE condemned the arrests and declared in a statement that asks the Spanish Government to take "all necessary measures as soon as possible" so that they are released and can return to work. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) general secretary Christophe Deloire called the arrest "extremely disturbing".

National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) of Venezuela He denounced on his Twitter account that in just two days, 11 journalists were arbitrarily arrested in Venezuela. The SNTP recorded the detention of seven foreign reporters and four Venezuelans, of whom only two were released and two others, both Chileans, expelled from the country.