Throughout the day, various leaders of the international community showed their unrestricted support for the renowned editor of Voz Media, Orlando Avendaño, a Venezuelan journalist who was falsely accused by the Nicolás Maduro dictatorship on charges of "inciting hatred."
The Chavista Prosecutor's Office, headed by Attorney General Tarek William Saab, accused Avendaño, without evidence, of subverting order and calling for rebellion for a post on X (Twitter) at the beginning of the month whose context was distorted by the regime.
At noon, agents from SEBIN, the Chavista Intelligence Police, raided Avendaño's family home in the state of Valencia, seizing cell phones, laptops and other electronic equipment.
One of the international leaders who condemned the actions of the Chavista dictatorship was former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez. He asked the Colombian government to protect the Voz Media journalist, who has Colombian nationality in addition to Venezuelan nationality.
"May Colombia honor the democratic tradition and protect this journalist and other dissidents in Venezuela," Uribe wrote. "I see that Maduro and some here orchestrate the task of silencing me."
Que Colombia honre la tradición democrática y proteja a este periodista y a los demás disidentes de Venezuela.
Veo que Maduro y algunos de aquí orquestan la tarea de callarme https://t.co/DhKso84K0b
— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) April 2, 2024
On the Old Continent, several Spanish leaders also took a stand in favor of the Voz Media editor.
"Orlando Avendaño is one of those brave Venezuelans committed to freedom against the tyranny of Maduro," Spanish congressman Santiago Abascal, president of the conservative Vox party, wrote on X. "The persecution against him adds to those already perpetrated by the criminal regime with the complicit silence of the Pedro Sánchez government and its international partners."
Orlando Avendaño es uno de esos venezolanos valientes comprometidos con la libertad frente a la tiranía de Maduro.
La persecución contra él se suma a las ya perpetradas por el régimen criminal con el silencio cómplice del gobierno de Pedro Sánchez y sus socios internaciones. https://t.co/HHjpHB4c90
— Santiago Abascal 🇪🇸 (@Santi_ABASCAL) April 1, 2024
Luis Almagro, the OAS secretary general, also spoke out to support Orlando Avendaño, who, in his words, is suffering an attack on his freedom of expression.
"We condemn the harassment and persecution of Orlando Avendaño by the Public Ministry of Venezuela. Freedom of expression is fundamental to building democracy and justice," Almagro wrote.
Condenamos el acoso y la persecución a @OrlvndoA por parte del @MinpublicoVEN de #Venezuela. La libertad de expresión es fundamental para construir democracia y justicia. pic.twitter.com/2mLCtRR4hw
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) April 1, 2024
Human rights defenders, such as renowned lawyer Tamara Suju, also warned about the danger behind the regime's accusations, especially after Saab revealed to the press that he had the "location" of the Voz Media journalist.
"Tyranny and its executor of systematic repression and persecution threaten journalist Orlando Avendaño saying: 'We have him located,'" Suju denounced. "Gee Tarek William, what does this mean? What could happen to him that happened to Lieutenant Ojeda? That they are going to send him kidnapped to take him to Venezuela as a Colombian? Reporting and taking a photo with Uribe is not a crime."
#Venezuela. Atención @IntlCrimCourt@KarimKhanQC
La Tirania y su ejecutor de la Represión y Persecucion Sistemática amenaza al Periodista @OrlvndoA diciendo "LO TENEMOS UBICADO".
Caramba Tarek William, ¿que significa esto?
¿Que le puede pasar lo mismo que al Tte Ojeda?… https://t.co/G32hTFHGQa— Tamara Suju (@TAMARA_SUJU) April 1, 2024
Suju referenced the case of the Venezuelan soldier Ronald Ojeda, who was kidnapped and murdered in Chile last month under strange circumstances. At the moment, there is only one suspect for this crime, a teenager of Venezuelan nationality. However, the former lieutenant's family accuse the Chavista dictatorship before the International Criminal Court for his alleged crime.
The European parliamentarian Hermann Tertsch, also from the Vox party, joined the voices that condemned the abuse of the Maduro regime against Avendaño.
"Orlando Avendaño is a great journalist and a man committed to the truth. As a worthy Venezuelan, he is by necessity a mortal enemy of the murderous regime of Nicolás Maduro and his narco-communist mafia, the worst of that mistreated country," Tertsch wrote in a meaningful post in X. "From Madrid and Brussels, from the capital of Spain and the European Parliament, I send a big hug to our dear and admired friend Orlando Avendaño who knows that he has all our support in VOX as in the ECR."
"And I announce to Maduro and his criminal chorus that they will end up on the bench of the International Criminal Court. 'Promised,'" he added.
Diego Arria, a renowned Venezuelan politician and diplomat who became president of the United Nations Security Council, also condemned the false accusation against Avendaño.
"Dear Orlando, being persecuted by drug tyranny honors you as the talented and independent journalist that you are. My full solidarity," said Arria.
Querido Orlando ser perseguido por la narco tiranía te honra como periodista talentoso e independiente q eres. Mi plena solidaridad https://t.co/R2bSxfIkVY
— Diego E. Arria (@Diego_Arria) April 1, 2024
The Madrid Forum, an organization created by the Disenso Foundation think tank, linked to the Vox party, condemned the Chavista regime's attack against Avendaño.
The organization called the attack against the Voz Media journalist "a hoax, without any basis, and is added to the long list of crimes against humanity committed by Maduro and his allies."
🇻🇪 #Venezuela | RESPONSABILIZAMOS AL NARCOTIRANO MADURO DE LA VIDA E INTEGRIDAD DE @OrlvndoA Y DENUNCIAMOS UN NUEVO CRÍMEN DE LESA HUMANIDAD
El ataque del régimen venezolano en contra del conocido escritor, periodista y firmante de la Carta de Madrid, Orlando Avendaño está… pic.twitter.com/urVxqZSJxT
— Foro Madrid (@Foro_MAD) April 1, 2024
The accusation against Avendaño occurs in a delicate political context in Venezuela.
For months now, amid negotiations with Washington, the Maduro dictatorship has intensified its repression against dissent in the South American country as the presidential elections on July 28 approach.
The regime, through the Prosecutor's Office, has ordered the capture of activists, opinion leaders, journalists and politicians, including people close to María Corina Machado, the leader of the opposition in Venezuela.
After the accusation against him, Avendaño published a video denying the charges against him, ensuring that it is yet another attack by Maduro and his regime against freedom of the press and the defenders of democracy.
"They accuse me of three things. The first, for a tweet I wrote several weeks ago in which I talk about an insurrectional mood. The second, that María Corina pays me and that I am part of a Vente Venezuela operation. The third, that I am part of a much larger assassination conspiracy with former President Álvaro Uribe from Colombia. Let's see, all this is completely false," said Avendaño.
