House raided in Venezuela of journalist who uncovered Alex Saab scandal

Organizations such as Flip had denounced this week a judicial persecution against journalist Roberto Deniz, exiled in Colombia. The journalist assures that the actions against him are reprisals for his work.

Venezuelan journalist Roberto Deniz denounced through his Twitter account that members of the Venezuelan Police raided his house in Caracas (Venezuela). Deniz, who is in exile in Colombia, was part of a group of researchers from the Armando.info, who closely followed and exposed the business of businessman Alex Saab, imprisoned in Cape Verde and on the tightrope before his possible extradition to the United States.

He warned that they are coming to my parents' house in Caracas to search it. Since 2018 I have not been in Venezuela.

— Roberto Deniz (@robertodeniz) October 15, 2021

In the same social network, the journalist said that, although he has not been at his residence in Venezuela since 2018, his parents, brother, sister-in-law and two minor nieces are in the place. Likewise, Deniz said: "I alert and hold the Venezuelan authorities responsible for anything that may happen to them." According to the journalist, these actions by the Venezuelan government are in retaliation for the investigative work he did against the corruption network in which businessman Alex Saab participated, who is accused of being a front man for the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.

Also read: Maduro harasses Roberto Deniz, the journalist who uncovered Alex Saab's businesses

Additionally, the journalist stated: "Just days after Alex Saab is extradited to the United States, the prosecution of Mr. Tarek William Saab is seeking my arrest for covering the business and relationship of Alex Saab and Nicolás Maduro for years." In turn, Deniz maintained that the procedure presents some irregularities since "the officials who went to raid my parents' house were dressed in black, without identification of any kind, or which police force they represent."

At this time I have lost contact with my older brother who is at my parents' residence. I hold the authorities responsible for what may happen to my family. They have nothing to do with my work as a journalist

— Roberto Deniz (@robertodeniz) October 15, 2021

In the same way, in the announcement made by the journalist through networks, he assured that he lost contact with his family from the beginning of the raid. In turn, he addressed the Venezuelan government saying: "They have nothing to do with my work as a journalist," he concluded. Deniz, who has been in exile in Colombia since 2018, has been the victim, according to organizations such as the Foundation for Press Freedom (Flip), of persecutions and legal setups against him.

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The journalist from Armando.info He denounced last Wednesday that the Venezuelan Prosecutor's Office had a search warrant to search his family's home. The order, the reporter says, is Nicolás Maduro's latest strategy to persecute and harass him for publishing his investigations into Alex Saab's businesses, and his alleged money laundering.

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Deniz had already said last Tuesday that false accusations have been rained down on Twitter by Chavismo officials for weeks, with the sole objective of having a judicial file opened, which was finally final. Likewise, the state channel VTV reported that the Public Ministry had opened an investigation into the journalist for allegedly inciting hatred, defamation and extortion.

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As a result of such persecution, the Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights opened a file on the case and granted precautionary measures of protection to the reporter's relatives, after considering that they are in a serious situation and risk to their rights.

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As for Alex Saab, the center of the controversy, he is currently imprisoned in Cape Verde and his case has become a novel between the goings-on of justice in the African country and its defense. The reason why the United States seeks to extradite Saab is for eight charges related to money laundering for USD $ 350 million, as a result of the alleged corruption in construction contracts and others related to the importation of food, sale of oil and gold.

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