RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
01/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2026 20:31
Venezuela: Five Journalists Freed, Urgent Calls Grow for Rory Branker’s Release
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the release of five of the six journalists imprisoned for carrying out their journalistic work in Venezuela. The journalists were released on Tuesday, 14 January 2026, as part of a broader series of political detainee releases announced by the country's authorities. While these releases constitute a significant step, the absence of official information regarding the situation of journalist Rory Branker, detained since February 2025, continues to raise serious concern. We demand his immediate release.
In recent days, Venezuelan authorities have announced and begun implementing the release of an undetermined number of political detainees. In this context, journalists Luis López (La Verdad), Leandro Palmar (LUZ Radio), Belices Salvador Cubillán (LUZ Radio), Nakary Mena Ramos (portal Impacto Venezuela), and Gianni González (portal Impacto Venezuela), who were detained between 2024 and 2025 in connection with their journalistic work, were released on 14 January 2026. To date, it has not been publicly confirmed whether all charges against the released journalists have been definitively dropped or whether some remain subject to judicial proceedings, precautionary measures, or other restrictions.
At the same time, the authorities have provided no official information regarding the situation of Rory Branker (La Patilla), a journalist who has remained detained since February 2025. After being forcibly disappeared in December 2025, information obtained by RSF reveals that the journalist is being held in a prison in Tocorón, Aragua State.
"RSF welcomes the release of the journalists and recognises the importance of this step. However, the lack of clear and verifiable information regarding their legal status and, in particular, the situation of Rory Branker, remains deeply concerning. Transparency is essential: there can be no real guarantees for journalism while lingering charges remain open and conditions are left unspecified. We reiterate our call for the immediate release of Rory Branker".
Artur Romeu
Director RSF Latin America
These releases take place amid significant political and institutional uncertainty in Venezuela, following the illegal U.S. military aggression of 3 January 2026, which included air strikes and the capture and transfer of President Nicolás Maduro.
Press freedom in Venezuela remains severely restricted. In recent weeks, local journalists have faced obstacles in accessing official information and carrying out their work under normal conditions, while foreign media outlets and journalists continue to be barred from entering the country to report independently on political and social developments.
Published on14.01.2026
RSF - Reporters sans frontières published this content on January 14, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 15, 2026 at 02:31 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]