CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan authorities released a Miami Herald reporter yesterday after detaining the American two days ago near the border with Colombia where he was researching a story ahead of next month’s local elections, the paper said.
Jim Wyss was handed over unharmed and in good spirits to US diplomats in Caracas, the Herald said.
“I’m very grateful for everybody who worked to help resolve this problem,” Wyss said, according to a story on the newspaper’s website. “And I’m thankful to the Venezuelan authorities for helping accelerate this process.”
President Nicolas Maduro’s government, which accuses Western media of fanning an international campaign to destabilize his socialist government, has not commented on the case.
The Herald said soldiers arrested Wyss on Thursday evening after he sought an interview with military officials in the Andean city of San Cristobal, where he was preparing a story on economic shortages and the Dec 8 municipal elections.
“Venezuelan authorities said Wyss was taken into custody because he did not have permission to report in the country,” the paper added. Wyss is based in Bogota, Colombia.
