The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Madurointensifies its campaign of repression against opponents through the use of the mobile application VeneApp. Originally designed to manage social plans, this application now allows anonymous complaints to be made. From a balcony of the government palace and in front of a crowd, Maduro He exclaimed: “Let’s go for them!”, referring to those who are protesting against the results, which can already be reported through the platform.
“Operation Tun Tun,” named after the distinctive sound of a slamming door, is seen as a tactic intended to reinforce the control social and suppress dissent through the use of technology.
Since the start of the protests, more than 2,200 people have been arrested. The demonstrations broke out shortly after the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner with 52% of the votes, compared to 43% for the opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. Protests in Caracas and other cities, including in traditionally Chavista neighborhoods, turned violent, leaving at least 24 dead.
Gonzalo Himiob, Vice President of the NGO Penal Forum, denounced arbitrary arrests and the use of fear as a tool of control social. “They are even going to take people out of their homes, take away their phones to see what they have against the government,” warned a woman who was waiting for news of her captured brother.
General Elio Estrada Paredes, commander of the National guard, He welcomed the “forceful action” of the Armed Forces. On July 29 alone, a thousand arrests were made. Maduro said he had opened two maximum security prisons to transport the detainees.
For his part, the opposition Gonzalez Urrutia He defied a summons from the Supreme Court in a process called to “certify” the election in which Maduro was declared the winner.
“If I go to the Electoral Hall (of the Supreme Court of Justice, TSJ) in these conditions I will be in absolute vulnerability due to defenselessness and violation of due process, and I will put at risk not only my freedom, but, more importantly, the will of the Venezuelan people,” stressed the 74-year-old opponent.
Likewise, the president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, He said he had handed over all documentation related to the election, although he had not made it public amid international pressure.
Related
2024-08-14 02:25:09