GV webinar: The ABCs of digital repression in Venezuela

The event was co-organized between Global Voices’ Civic Media Observatory and Advox

Originally published on Global Voices

On September 24, 2024, Global Voices hosted a discussion in English about Venezuela’s regime strategy for digital repression, from propaganda to harassment and persecution strategies enabled by the use of technology.

On July 28, 2024, Venezuela's National Electoral Authority (CNE) declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner late on election night without sharing the electoral tallies with the detailed outcome. Hours after the CNE announcement, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado contested the results, claiming González Urrutia had won and presenting the tallies to support her claim.

Protests immediately erupted and have steadily continued for over six weeks, with protestors demanding recognition of the results shared by the opposition, particularly in traditionally pro-Chávez neighborhoods, with over 1,700 detained and 24 killed. International pressure has also mounted on the CNE to release the complete election data while the Nicolás Maduro regime has escalated its repression tactics against dissenting voices.

In this webinar, we explored the Venezuelan regime's “package” of digital repression instruments, how they have evolved in time and analyzed how they have been used after the presidential election on July 28.

The event, co-organized between Global Voices’ Civic Media Observatory and Advox, was moderated by Global Voices’ Civic Media Observatory Lead, Giovana Fleck, and featured the following panelists:

• Mariví Marín, ProBox
• Marianne Díaz, Access Now
• Rafael Osío Cabrices, Caracas Chronicles

Find the full recording of the event here:

Written by Civic Media Observatory