BBC Restricts Using Term “Kidnapping” Regarding Maduro’s Capture

(MENAFN) The BBC has directed its staff to avoid describing the US detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a “kidnapping,” instead recommending less charged terms such as “seized,” according to an internal memo leaked online by British journalist and Guardian columnist Owen Jones.

Maduro was taken into custody during a US military operation in Caracas over the weekend and transported to New York to face charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses. He rejected the accusations during his initial court appearance, insisting that he had been “kidnapped.”

The leaked memo reportedly states that BBC management now “de-facto bans… journalists from stating that the US ‘kidnapped’” Maduro, with alternatives like “seized” and “captured” deemed acceptable.

In his commentary, Jones argued that the word ‘seized’ is “at best, a euphemism,” labeling the editorial directive “Orwellian stuff.” He also pointed out that US President Donald Trump himself admitted that ‘kidnapped’ is “not a bad term.”

This development follows UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to clarify whether the US strike on Venezuela breached international law, emphasizing instead that Britain’s focus remains on a “peaceful transition to democracy.”

The leaked memo further intensifies debate over BBC editorial practices. In November, the broadcaster issued a formal apology after one of its programs altered a Trump speech from January 6, 2021, when supporters of the US president stormed Congress to block certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.

MENAFN06012026000045017167ID1110561764