Venezuela: journalist Rory Branker charged on five counts the day after his liberation

According to information recently obtained by RSF, the 43-year-old journalist was summoned to court on 5 February and formally charged with five offences, including "financing terrorism" and "treason." He is required to report to the authorities periodically - approximately every 30 days - while his case is being reviewed. Branker is also reportedly subject to restrictions, including a ban on leaving the country and on speaking to the press.

Rory Branker was the last of six Venezuelan media professionals detainedin retaliation for their journalism to be freed; the other five were releasedon 14 January 2026, as part of the liberation of political prisoners by the Venezuelan government that followed the illegal military interventionby the United States. Rory Branker was arrestedon 20 February 2025 at his home in Caracas by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin), without a warrant being presented or any official explanation given for the reasons for his arrest.

The relentless persecution of La Patilla and the crackdown on journalism in Venezuela

La Patillahas faced a slew of legal attacks. Alberto Ravell, one of the outlet's founders, fled into exile in 2016 due to the risk of being arrested. In 2019, Venezuela's Supreme Court upheld a ruling orderingthe outlet to pay millions in compensation to Diosdado Cabello, first vice-president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), due to a report by La Patilla that linked him to drug trafficking. In 2024, La Patillajournalist Ana Carolina Guaitawas detained and later releasedafter more than four months in detention.

On the same day Rory Branker was released, journalist Álvaro Algarra, Spanish-language correspondent for Deutsche Welle, was detainedfor several hours in Caracas by officers of the Bolivarian National Police (PNB), who took him from his home without a warrant or official explanation, according to reports by professional organisations. The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) and the National College of Journalists (CNP) reportedthat he was released the same day and was in good health. Both cases highlight the dire state of press freedom in Venezuela, where journalists are routinely harassed and detained, and remain severely under threat after the US military operation and ongoing political transition. Venezuela ranks 160 out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.