British journalist Owen Jones revealed that the BBC issued guidelines to its reporters not to use the word “kidnapped” when covering news related to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
BBC journalists have been banned from describing the kidnapped Venezuelan leader as having been kidnapped.
The BBC News Editor has sent this to BBC journalists. pic.twitter.com/jn9qQZkVAH
— Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) January 5, 2026
According to Jones’ tweet on January 5, the BBC preferred using terms like “captured” or “seized” instead of “kidnapped,” in an effort to maintain neutrality and accuracy, while Venezuela and other countries describe the operation as a kidnapping or political assassination.
The BBC has not issued an official statement confirming or denying these guidelines, but its official coverage tends to use neutral terms when reporting on the military operation carried out by the United States. This situation highlights the challenges media organizations face in covering controversial international events, where language choices vary according to editorial policies and professional assessments aimed at maintaining impartiality.