Venezuela. Journalist assaulted during opposing demonstration

O Venezuela's Press Workers' Union (SNTP) today denounced that a journalist was verbally assaulted and threatened with coups when covering the opposition demonstration held on Thursday in Caracas.

“The journalist Reynaldo Mozo, from [portal] Efecto Cocuyo, was attacked by opposition politician Richard Blanco (son), who accused him of being an undercover [chavism] during the march (...) and caused them to withdraw him by force from the stage where the political leaders were speaking”, denounces the SNTP in a statement distributed in Caracas.

In the document, SNTP explains that “despite other journalists trying to defend Mozo and classify the incident as a hostile act, other people accompanying [oppositor] leaders also joined the attacks against the reporter.”.

“ Since the SNTP, we condemn this type of acts that promote aggression and hostility against the press ", stresses.

Opposing politician Richard Blanco (son) has already reacted to the complaint and, through social networks, has responded to the SNTP and the journalist that “it is not fair to judge or attack without having heard the parties”.

“ I know my words and my posture have caused you discomfort. I offer you my public and sincere apologies for this mess. Just as I personally apologized at the end of the event at Plaza Venezuela”, he wrote in his X account.

On the other hand, the Human Rights Committee of the Vente Venezuela (VV) party, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, today announced that the seven people who had been arrested for collaborating with the opposition demonstration held on Thursday in Caracas have been released.

“ The people who were arbitrarily arrested at the end of the peaceful demonstration of October 22 were later released, along with the vehicles,” explains VV no X.

On the same social network, the VV needs that, “However, they were confiscated the [sound] equipment they used during the demonstration”.

“Preaching a service and fulfilling your duties is not a crime. We will continue to denounce this situation until their belongings are returned and no one else is detained for doing their work and expressing themselves freely”, he concludes.

Hundreds of Venezuelans left on Thursday in several cities in Venezuela to demand the release of political prisoners and the marking of face-to-face elections.

In Caracas, the opposition had called the concentration for the Polar Tower of Plaza Venezuela, but a counter march promoted by the Minister of Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, in the context of the “pink month” for the prevention of breast cancer, forced the opposition to concentrate on the Rector’s Square of the Central University of Venezuela and march to the bridge linking the institution to Plaza Venezuela.

The site change aimed to avoid confrontations or incidents with the participants of the other mobilization, explained protesters to Lusa.

On the spot, they concentrated by displaying posters with messages such as “Let Maria Corina enter”, “She is the leader of Venezuela”, “Legal leader”, “Caracas, social pulse”, “Let’s go with you” and “Freedom for all political prisoners”.

Hours later, the VV denounced the arrest of seven people in charge of sound trucks used in the opposition demonstration.

“ We alert the international community to this attack against Venezuelans who provided their services for the peaceful demonstration of October 22 ", says the VV in a statement.

Data from the Criminal Court indicate that on October 5, there were 322 people arrested for political reasons in Venezuela, of whom 182 are civilians and 140 are military. Of the total detainees, 31 are foreigners, 308 are men and 14 are women.

Since 2014, the Criminal Court has documented 19,253 arrests for political reasons in the country.