Venezuela press groups demand whereabouts of missing journalist

CARACAS (Reuters) - A veteran journalist in Venezuela has not been heard from since Friday, Venezuelan press advocates said on Sunday, alleging he had been detained by government authorities in the country's capital.

The government did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests about the case of Nelin Escalante, an independent journalist, who recently posted videos on his social networks where he was talking about the price of the dollar in the country.

Venezuela's National College of Journalists (CNP) said in a post on social mediat that Escalante had been missing for 48 hours and demanded his prompt release.

The group said he was "taken" on Friday afternoon by agents belonging to an intelligence service known as the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence, or DGCIM.

"We demand to know (Escalante's) whereabouts and release," the CNP said.

Venezuela's press workers union (SNTP) said that Escalante last had contact with his relatives on Friday and that his colleagues had denounced his detention, although it did not specify the day.

The United Nations has accused the DGCIM of arbitrary arrests and torture.

The union has documented at least eight cases of journalists detained after the July 28 presidential election.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Sonali Paul)

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