Venezuela: CFWIJ condemns security forces to attempt to intimidate journalist Mildred Manrique

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July 14, 2021 – Mildred Manrique, 800 Noticias’ journalist, affirmed that security forces attempted to search her house without having a prior notice or a search warrant. The journalist also included that the police officers were carrying long weapons. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns Venezuelan security officials for intimidating Mildred. We demand clarification into this deliberate threat against the journalist. 

Venezuelan journalist Mildred Manrique denounced those police officers who attempted to search her home on Tuesday night, July 13. Through a live broadcast on her Twitter account, Mildred said that several men knocked on the door of her residence after entering the building where she lives in Altamira, Chacao. After the journalist’s refusal and declared her situation on her social media, officers evicted the building.

She explained that she was in her apartment along with her mother and a sister with special conditions, for which she condemned the attempted break-in at her home.

“He told me (the official) to open the door for him and I said no. I told him that I was with my mother and my sister, three women alone in the apartment. He started kicking the door and I started screaming,” she said on Twitter.

According to La Prensa, she highlighted that there were three trucks and two motorcycles, in addition to counting at least 15 uniformed men, some with credentials hanging around their necks. 

“I went live on Twitter saying what was happening, then when they heard my mother's screams, they heard my screams, they gave up and I caught them on the street. There were three vans, two motorcycles in the building next door. They were like 15 men, they only told me to open the door for them without a warrant. They did not show any documents according to the warrant when I asked them. They had long weapons and guns,” she told El Nacional.

The press in the country drew attention to the journalist’s situation. No further information was given from the Venezuelan officials about the attempted raid to the journalist’s house. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism was devastated by the deliberate attack against the journalist. State officials must clarify the attempted raid toward Mildred Manrique and must end those intimidation practices against journalists.