Nicolás Maduro Guerra, a member of the PSUV and son of former president Nicolás Maduro, publicly defended the Anti-Hate Law on the morning program «Primera Página» from Globovisión, stating that it was «necessary to pacify the country» and that chavismo only acknowledges «excesses» in its application, not its systematic use as a tool 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 3rd— stand in stark contrast to a widely documented picture of repression by international organizations and human rights groups.
In the interview, the deputy stated that the regulation arose 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 it, improve it," and to add articles that punish the abuses committed during its enforcement.
"We, if we need to correct something, acknowledge it and do so with the utmost good faith and willingness," he stated, while urging other sectors — referring to the anti-Chavist opposition — to also recognize that the law "was necessary to bring peace to 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 massive anti-government protests that year.
The regulation stipulates penalties of 10 to 20 years of imprisonment for broadly defined behaviors such as promoting or inciting hatred, mandates 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 recorded at least 927 people accused of "incitement to hatred"; Cecodap reported that 118 adolescents were charged under this law between 2024 and 2025, without the guarantees provided for in the child protection legislation.
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission of the UN documented, just in the post-electoral period of 2024, at least 28 murders, 2,229 arrests, and 29 forced disappearances of short duration.
Testimonies gathered by international organizations describe torture through beatings, electric shocks, asphyxiation 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 documented 322 political prisoners in Venezuela, despite more than 400 releases that have taken place since January.
The reform process is part of a political shift by Rodríguez's government following Maduro's capture. On September 28, the acting president requested the National Assembly to expedite the amendment "as a matter of urgency."
In February, Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, had already acknowledged "situations of abuse" in the application of the law, though without proposing its elimination.
Civil society organizations and journalists reject the partial reform and demand full repeal: the National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela deemed any modification insufficient unless it completely abolishes 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 semblance of guilt for everything they have done."
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