Venezuelan authorities launch investigation into hate speech via messaging apps – Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces on Venezuela and beyond

Venezuela’s National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) is investigating people who sent hate messages and threats via WhatsApp, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced on Monday.

Conatel is reportedly conducting a judicial-administrative investigation into people who posted threats on WhatsApp, a platform accused of spreading hate messages, especially after the presidential elections held in Venezuela last Sunday, July 28.

The Venezuelan president noted that “thousands of messages have been sent through WhatsApp calling for the assassination of President Maduro, and calling for the assassination of Chavistaswhich calls for killing people.” Analysts argue that this is a deliberate strategy aimed at mobilizing the masses of Chavistas which has been crucial in countering the violent protests and attacks promoted and carried out by the US-backed opposition and its right-wing supporters.

President Maduro warned in this regard that most of the phones sending the threatening messages used country codes of Colombia, Peru, Chile and the United States.

He added that those who use Venezuelan phones to send threatening messages “will be subject to law, justice, order and peace.”

The Venezuelan president therefore reiterated his call to report citizens who have threatened other citizens because of their political affiliation. He also said that this app serves as a spying center to provide information to the United States.

“WhatsApp belongs to the enemies of Venezuela, to the imperialism of the world. They know everything you write,” he said.

Regarding the use of WhatsApp in Venezuela, the head of state clarified that he did not give the order to block the app, but that he trusts “the conscience of every Venezuelan” to make the decision to remove this messaging service.

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President Maduro added that people can also communicate safely with alternative applications such as Telegram and Wechat. He then instructed the Minister of Communications and Information, Freddy Ñáñez, to start training on the use of these other platforms.

Finally, President Maduro confirmed that the coup against Venezuela is being carried out through social media, with the aim of dividing people and fueling hatred, and that the coup is being led by criminal gangs.

“Our fight is not with swords and spears… it is with conscience, with truth, with justice, with the law, with the Constitution,” he added.

(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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