Venezuelan Journalist Joan Camargo Remains Missing after 60 Hours, Family Seeks Habeas Corpus
Caracas, Venezuela - Journalist Joan Camargo has been missing for over 60 hours, prompting urgent calls for his immediate release from his family adn press freedom organizations. As of Saturday afternoon, no Venezuelan state security agency has confirmed Camargo’s arrest or provided information regarding his whereabouts.
Camargo’s family reported thay visited detention centers in Caracas again this Saturday, but were told he was not being held at any of them. “We still have no news about Joan,” the family stated in a release shared on social networks.
The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) reported via X (formerly Twitter) that the family attempted to file a habeas corpus appeal at the Caracas Palace of Justice to demand information about Camargo’s location. The union stated, “Today they toured detention centers and went to the Palace of Justice to deliver a habeas corpus. They reiterated that he is under forced disappearance.”
The family’s attempt to submit the appeal to the Document Reception and Distribution Unit (URDD) of the Palace of Justice on Saturday was unsuccessful as the office was closed. They plan to try again on Sunday.
In a statement, Camargo’s relatives implored authorities for swift action, requesting “immediate and effective action by the authorities to guarantee the life, integrity and freedom of the journalist.” They also appealed directly to those holding him, stating, “To those who have him, we ask that you allow him to communicate with his family and release him. Joan is a journalist who has dedicated himself to telling what happens at the source of events with responsibility and professional ethics.”
the SNTP highlighted that Camargo’s disappearance is part of a concerning pattern of recent arrests and harassment targeting press workers in Venezuela, and called on the state to uphold constitutional guarantees and human rights for communicators.
Camargo is known for his coverage of events and public order issues for Venezuelan digital media, with a particular focus on citizen security.
Both the family and the SNTP are urgently requesting that authorities report on Camargo’s whereabouts and ensure his prompt release.
[Embedded Tweet from SNTP Venezuela – as provided in original text]
