Venezuela detained Monty Python actor for six hours

British actor Michael Palin, a member of the Monty Python comedy group, was detained for six hours by Venezuelan militiamen in Sabaneta, the hometown of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

The 82-year-old British actor is filming a documentary in Venezuela for the British channel Channel 5. At the time of his arrest, Michael Palin was filming a statue of Hugo Chávez. In an interview with the Telegraph , Michael Palin explained that Venezuelan militiamen even "searched his clothes." "It was ridiculous," he said.

Venezuelan militiamen, members of the Armed Forces and whose objective is to maintain internal order, confiscated the passports and cameras of Michael Palin and the crew that accompanied him during the filming of the documentary.

"Then they took us to a restaurant so we could get something to eat. And then one of the guards looked at his phone. He realized who it was. He found a Monty Python sketch. The guard thought it was hilarious. Suddenly, the aggression faded. They wanted autographs and pictures ," said Michael Palin.

Michael Palin's Venezuela documentary will premiere in September on Channel 5. The actor has also written a book about the experience, which will be published on September 25.