Nicolás Maduro Guerra, a deputy of the PSUV and son of former president Nicolás Maduro, publicly defended the Law against Hatred on the morning program 'Primera Página' of Globovisión, stating that it was "necessary to pacify the country" and that chavismo only acknowledges "excesses" in its application, not its systematic use as an instrument of repression.
Maduro Guerra's statements—who at 35 years old has become one of the main public spokespersons for the family following his father's capture on January 3, 2026—contrast sharply with a well-documented picture of repression reported by international organizations and human rights groups.
In the interview, the deputy stated that the rule emerged from "a wave of violence and hatred driven by a sector of the population that wanted political change through violence" —which he indirectly attributed to the opposition—, and added: "Venezuela is a democratic country."
Far from proposing its repeal, Maduro Guerra aligned himself with the stance of Deputy Pedro Infante and suggested reforming it to "adapt, improve" it and add articles that punish abuses committed during its execution.
"We, if we need to correct something, acknowledge it and do so with the utmost good faith and goodwill," he stated, while urging other sectors — referring to the anti-Chavista opposition — to also recognize that the law "was necessary to pacify the country."
The Constitutional Law against Hatred, for Peaceful Coexistence and Tolerance was approved in November 2017 by the chavista National Constituent Assembly —then presided over by the current interim president Delcy Rodríguez— amid the massive anti-government protests of that year.
The regulation includes penalties of 10 to 20 years in prison for broadly defined behaviors such as promoting or inciting hatred, requires the removal of content from social media within six hours, and empowers the State to request the closure of media outlets and the revocation of political parties.
Since its enactment, the figures of repression are striking: Foro Penal has recorded at least 927 individuals accused of "incitement to hatred"; Cecodap reported that 118 adolescents were charged under this law between 2024 and 2025, without the guarantees outlined in the legislation for the protection of minors.
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission of the UN documented, exclusively during the post-electoral period of 2024, at least 28 murders, 2,229 detentions, and 29 enforced disappearances of short duration.
Testimonies collected by international organizations describe tortures through beatings, electric shocks, suffocation with bags, sexual violence, and confinement in dark cells, with the DGCIM and SEBIN identified as the main institutional perpetrators.
At the time of Maduro Guerra's statements, Foro Penal recorded 322 political prisoners in Venezuela, despite more than 400 releases carried out since January 2026.
The reform process is set within a political shift by Rodríguez's government following Maduro's capture: on September 28, the acting president asked the National Assembly to process the amendment "as a matter of urgency."
In February 2026, Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, had already recognized "situations of abuse" in the enforcement of the law, although he did not propose its repeal.
Civil society organizations and journalists reject the partial reform and demand total repeal: the National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela deemed any amendment insufficient if it does not completely abolish the law.
The Venezuelan journalist Fernando Tineo summarized on social media the reaction of those who heard the words of the deputy: "They have no sense of guilt for everything they have done."
Filed under: