Social network X, formerly known as Twitter, remains blocked in Venezuela, after the 10-day temporary suspension announced by President Nicolás Maduro, and without the authorities having provided any new information on the matter.
Eleven days after Maduro’s announcement, it is still impossible to access this platform without the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), the anti-filtering programs that have become popular in the country to bypass the blocks imposed by the state-run National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel).
Although Maduro and Jorge Rodríguez spoke on Monday about the “damage” caused by social media, neither of them directly referred to the suspension, which was initially ordered due to the platform’s attempt to “sow violence” in the country.
On Monday, during his weekly television program, Maduro repeatedly mentioned the owner of X, South African tycoon Elon Musk, whom he accuses of promoting fascism and violence in Venezuela.
“Elon Musk and X out of Latin America,” the president said, without referring to the suspension, after considering that Musk “made a mistake” and “crashed” with Venezuela.
On August 8, Maduro asked the US company to present its documents – without specifying which ones – and wait for Conatel to establish a “definitive administrative measure”, which remains unknown.
Since then, state institutions – including the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), Parliament and the National Electoral Council (CNE) – and the highest government authorities have stopped using X to publicize their actions, amid a political crisis due to the allegation of fraud in the July 28 presidential elections, in which Maduro was announced as the winner.
Instead, heads of public power and spokespeople for Chavismo migrated to platforms such as Telegram and Instagram, while opposition leaders and non-governmental organizations continue to use X as the main disseminator of their activities and statements.
Videos have been circulating on social media, some of them disseminated by the opposition, explaining how to install VPNs, a practice that was already promoted by dozens of digital media outlets, whose domains have been blocked in recent years.
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2024-08-24 05:13:31
