Venezuelan Journalist Vanishes Under Suspicious Circumstances

Veteran journalist Nelin Escalante has been missing since Friday, alleged to have been detained by Venezuelan authorities. Press advocates demand his release. The National College of Journalists and the press union are pressing for information, while the UN has noted similar past incidents by the DGCIM.

A veteran journalist in Venezuela, Nelin Escalante, has not been heard from since Friday, according to press advocates who allege he was detained by government authorities in the capital. The government has not responded to inquiries from Reuters regarding Escalante's case, who recently discussed the country's dollar pricing on social media.

The National College of Journalists (CNP) announced on social media that Escalante had been missing for 48 hours, urging for his immediate release. They stated he was "taken" by agents from the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) on Friday afternoon.

The CNP has demanded to know Escalante's whereabouts and called for his release. Venezuela's press workers union (SNTP) reported that Escalante last communicated with relatives on Friday, his detention being denounced by colleagues. This follows the UN's accusations against the DGCIM for arbitrary arrests, with eight journalists detained since the July 28 election.

(With inputs from agencies.)