Venezuela’s opposition demonstrates in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (Voice of America/Wikimedia Commons)
Embattled Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro opened a new front this week to fend off the wave of protests triggered by accusations that he stole the July 28th presidential election, declaring war on the usage of social media, which he claims is being used to coordinate terrorists actions against his regime.
Maduro, who since the election has launched a brutal wave of repression against protesters, took his efforts to the digital world this week, giving instructions to the National Telecommunications Commission to block the usage of X, previously known as Twitter, for an initial period of 10 days that could eventually be expanded.
He said the social media network is being used to incite hate and promote the general disobedience of ”all the laws” of the South American nation, he said.
“Out with X for 10 days in Venezuela,” a visibly angry Maduro said on state television. “Enough is enough. It is enough of them trying to sow violence, hatred, of trying to attack Venezuela from abroad,” said Maduro, who previously accused X owner Elon Musk of participating in what he called a “cyber coup” against him.
The 10-day suspension is designed to give the company time to respond to the accusations that are being made against it After the period, Venezuelan officials will make a final decision, Maduro said.
But X is not the only social media network on the crosshairs of the Venezuelan strongman, who also expressed his dislike for Whatsapp, Tik Tok and Instagram, complaining that these have become tools of “cyber fascism” and “hate-mongering” that are being used against his government.
“Out with Whatsapp,” Maduro said, claiming that he had already uninstalled the application from his cell phone while recommending Venezuelans replace the application with Telegram, created by Russian entrepreneurs, or with their Chinese equivalent, WeChat.
Maduro’s declaration of war against social media comes amid a wave of repression that that has led to the arrest of at least 2,000 people, according to the regime’s own figures, the death of more than 20 people, and dozens of injuries.
A large number of people have also been reported as having “disappeared” amid the repression.
Human rights organizations say Maduro’s security sources have been roaming the streets of major cities and stopping pedestrians, demanding they hand over their cellphones. Some of those caught with photos or videos of the protests or of the wave of arrests on WhatsApp or other social media accounts have been detained, the groups said.
The protests began the day after the Venezuelan regime announced that Maduro had won the presidential election with just over 51% of the vote. The opposition said soon after that regime’s results were fraudulent and that their candidate, former diplomat Edmundo González, had received more than 65% of the votes.
The opposition’s claim is backed by the official paper tallies taken in more than 80% of the polling stations, while the regime has so far failed to provide any documents supporting its claim despite repeated calls from the international community.
Amid his efforts to downplay the international criticism erupting form the election’s lack of transparency, Maduro got involved in a public argument with Musk, accusing the South African born businessman of becoming a world-class representation of fascist ideology.
The public spat intensified soon after the election when Musk reposted a tweet posted by Argentine President Javier Milei, another of Maduro’s critics, who called on the strongman to “recognize the defeat after years of socialism, misery, decadence and death.”
Hours later, Maduro appeared on television challenging Musk to a fist fight. “Do you want to fight? Let’s do it. Elon Musk, I’m ready. I’m not afraid of you, Elon Musk. Let’s fight, wherever you want.”
Musk, who is the founder of the spacecraft maker SpaceX, accepted the challenge the next day, raising the stakes, saying on his X account: “If I win, [Maduro] resigns as dictator of Venezuela. If he wins, I will give him a free ride to Mars.”
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