The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, attacked social media during an event with Chavista youth and also in a nationwide broadcast, where he uninstalled the WhatsApp application live, accusing it of interfering in the country's affairs.
"You left, WhatsApp. If I've seen you, I don't remember," was the expression used by the president in a sort of tutorial for his Venezuelan followers to get rid of the app.
"Through WhatsApp, they are threatening the Venezuelan military family, all the officers; through WhatsApp, they are threatening the police family; through WhatsApp, they are threatening community and street leaders; through WhatsApp, they are threatening anyone who does not speak in favor of fascism," he said.
In his intervention, Maduro urged his supporters to make a "voluntary, progressive, and radical withdrawal" from the app, and suggested Telegram as an alternative for communication.
"I am going to break relations with WhatsApp, because WhatsApp is being used to threaten Venezuela, and so I will delete my WhatsApp from my phone forever. Little by little, I will be transferring my contacts to Telegram, to WeChat (...) it is necessary to do it, say no to WhatsApp, out with WhatsApp from Venezuela," he added in the defiant tone that has characterized him in recent months.
This is how the popular messaging app joins the list of those banned and attacked by Maduro, following the allegations of electoral fraud committed by his government on July 28, 2024.
"The main conscious multiplying instruments of hate and fascism, and the attempt to divide Venezuelans and create fascist fanatics who would attack the police, the military, or the chavista people in their communities, are TikTok and Instagram," he stated.
The ruler stated that in Venezuela there is "no type of national regulation" regarding the use of social networks. Therefore, he requested recommendations from the Defense Council and the Security Council on this matter, following the protests that erupted after the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced Maduro's victory in the recent elections, without showing the electoral records.
Recently, Maduro lost his government entity verification on the social network X (the gray badge), owned by entrepreneur Elon Musk, an event that comes after a heated exchange between the two following accusations of electoral fraud.
Musk's decision to remove Maduro's verification followed a series of similar moves by other social media platforms. Meta, for example, removed the blue checkmark from Maduro's accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, which indicated that he was a recognized personality.
Many of Nicolás Maduro's supporters have begun to follow the dictator's instructions. Among the reactions reported by a television network is that of a man who claimed to have deleted the app after answering the president's call. Although in the middle of the interview, he received a call on WhatsApp.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled under:
