Venezuela charges 4 journalists with 'terrorism,’ press union says

Caracas, Venezuela — Venezuelan authorities have charged four journalists with "terrorism" after they were arrested during the country's post-election unrest, a local press union said Wednesday.

Protests erupted in Venezuela hours after President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of the July 28 polls.

"We denounce the illegal and arbitrary use of anti-terrorism laws in Venezuela, especially against journalists and photojournalists detained during the post-election protests in the country," the Venezuelan Media Workers Union said in a statement on social media.

Since the unrest broke out, photojournalists Yousner Alvarado and Deisy Pena, as well as cameraman Paul Leon and reporter Jose Gregorio Carnero, have been held in jails across the country, the union said.

The journalists have been denied access to their lawyers, it added.

The crime of terrorism carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison in Venezuela.

Human rights organizations say at least 24 died during the protests, and more than 2,200 were arrested, according to Maduro.

Among those arrested was prominent opposition figure Roland Carreno -- a former journalist who was previously accused of "terrorism" and imprisoned from 2020 to 2023, according to his Popular Will party.

The authorities are also investigating opposition leaders Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and Maria Corina Machado for insurrection after they asked for the support of the armed forces following Maduro's disputed reelection.