- The US Department of State called on Maduro to release the journalists
WASHINGTON: A crew from US-based television network Univision was released after being detained Monday during an interview with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the Spanish-language channel said.
Maduro “disliked the questions in the interview and stopped the recording, confiscated the equipment and detained the six journalists,” Univision said.
“The crew of six Univision Noticias journalists headed by Jorge Ramos was released after being held at the Miraflores Palace for nearly three hours on the orders of Nicolas Maduro,” the network added.
Ramos told Univision that the entire team had arrived back at their hotel.
The journalist said Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez had told the crew during the interview that it was not authorized.
“They confiscated all the equipment, we didn’t have anything,” Ramos said.
The US State Department earlier said it had been notified that Ramos and his team were being held against their will at Maduro’s Miraflores presidential palace.
“We insist on their immediate release; the world is watching,” it tweeted.