CARACAS: Venezuelan authorities detained three foreign journalists and a driver working for the Spanish news agency EFE on Wednesday, the company said, in the latest arrests of reporters covering US-backed efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
Colombian photographer Leonardo Muñoz was arrested with his Venezuelan driver Jose Salas while reporting on protests against the government.
Hours later intelligence officers detained Spanish reporter Gonzalo Domínguez Loeda and Colombian TV producer Mauren Barriga Vargas at their hotel, EFE’s bureau chief in Caracas, Nelida Fernandez said.
The entire team had traveled from Bogota earlier in the month.
The arrests follow the deportation of two Chilean reporters detained this week. A French diplomatic source said on Wednesday that two French reporters covering the turmoil had been arrested and that the French Embassy was seeking their release.
“Our Embassy has requested consular protection in accordance with the Vienna Convention and in particular the right of access,” the source said.
The French reporters were working for daily television program Quotidien, part of the TF1 television network. TF1 declined to comment.
Accused of election fraud, and overseeing a deep economic collapse that has led millions of Venezuelans to migrate, Maduro is facing the biggest challenge to his rule since replacing Hugo Chavez six years ago.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido has won the backing of the most countries in the Western Hemisphere since declaring himself interim president last week and calling for fresh elections.
Maduro says the strategy to topple him is a coup, led by hawks in the Trump administration such as Special Envoy to Venezuela Elliott Abrams, a veteran diplomat involved in the armed interventions in Central America in the 1980s.
France said on Wednesday that Maduro appeared not to be heeding calls for new presidential elections and that European foreign ministers would discuss next steps at a meeting in Bucharest on Thursday.
Venezuela detains Colombian, Spanish, French journalists
Venezuela detains Colombian, Spanish, French journalists
- The arrests follow the deportation of two Chilean reporters detained this week
- Maduro says the strategy to topple him is a coup, led by hawks in the Trump administration
RT Arabic opens its first Riyadh studio, inaugurates with first live show
- Program will broadcast twice a month
- Will be part of a series of analytical shows focusing on developments broadcast by RT Arabic from various global capitals
RIYADH: Widely regarded in the region as a trusted and reliable news network, RT Arabic (Russia Today) officially opened RT Studio Riyadh on Tuesday, allowing the centennial of Russia-Saudi Arabia diplomatic relations to usher in a new age of media relations as well.
The program will broadcast twice a month and will be part of a series of analytical shows focusing on regional and global developments broadcast by RT Arabic from various capitals around the world, such as “Studio Cairo,” “Studio Beirut,” “Studio Washington,” and “Studio Paris.”
It will be hosted by veteran Saudi journalist Mohammed Al-Rashed, who has more than 20 years of experience.
In his opening remarks, Russian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sergey Kozlov spoke of the century-long relationship between the two countries beginning in 1926 when the Soviet Union became the first state to formally recognize the Kingdom of Hejaz and Najd.
Those bilateral ties have evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership that spans sectors such as energy, agriculture, industry, investment, science and education, culture and media, and humanitarian cooperation.
“Our friendship is built on mutual respect, trust, and a shared vision for the future,” he said.
Recent milestones include a growing tourism exchange, marked by a new mutual visa-exemption agreement in December 2025, and increased air connectivity through direct flights between Moscow-Riyadh and Moscow-Jeddah.
The ambassador also highlighted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Moscow in 2017 and President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Riyadh in 2019 as pivotal moments in advancing relations.
RT Studio Riyadh will “strengthen understanding between our peoples and provide viewers with deeper insight into political, cultural, and social developments in both countries,” he said.
Feb. 10 was also Russian Diplomatic Worker’s Day, an occasion that the presenters believe added symbolic significance to the launch.
The Kingdom’s Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari was also present to celebrate the studio’s inauguration and expressed Saudi Arabia’s eagerness to strengthening its media partnerships.
“We are keen to support international media institutions and provide them with all necessary services to carry out their professional mission with ease and transparency,” he said.
That same evening, Al Riyadh newspaper signed a memorandum of understanding with RT promising news exchange and joint training cooperation.
The managing editor at Al Riyadh, Nawal Aljabr, described Studio Riyadh as a bridge connecting Russian and Arab audiences and an opportunity to explore future cooperation opportunities.
The inaugural guest of the platform was Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.
The episode aired live at the opening on Tuesday and discussed topics pertaining to the historical roots of Saudi-Russian relations, the durability of ties amid global geopolitical shifts, and future cooperation prospects, as well as the Kingdom’s role regionally and internationally.
Each episode will run for 26 minutes and feature a discussion between Al-Rashed and a chosen guest on a current affairs topic.
RT Arabic, established in 2007, is the first Russian 24-hour Arabic-language news channel. It has become one of the most prominent and influential media outlets in the Middle East.
