Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has made a dramatic move by removing WhatsApp from his phone and urging his supporters to do the same, claiming the app is being misused by “fascists” to incite violence against his government. In a fiery televised speech, Maduro denounced WhatsApp as a tool of “technological imperialism” and called for a switch to Telegram and WeChat, which he praised as more secure alternatives. This bold step comes amid ongoing protests and accusations of a Western-backed media coup following his controversial re-election. Maduro’s strong stance reflects his deep mistrust of social media platforms and foreign influences in Venezuelan politics.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has made a big move by removing WhatsApp from his phone and urging his supporters to do the same. He claims that the popular messaging app is being used by enemies of Venezuela to cause trouble and spread violence.
On Tuesday, Maduro appeared on the TV network Telesur from Caracas and explained that WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, is being misused by “fascists” to attack Venezuela. He said that everyone should switch to other apps like WeChat and Telegram instead.
Maduro even showed how he deleted WhatsApp from his phone on live TV. He seemed very relieved and said, “I am free of WhatsApp, I’m at peace…”
Earlier, at a rally in Caracas, Maduro strongly encouraged people to delete their WhatsApp accounts and switch to Telegram or WeChat. He called for WhatsApp to be removed from Venezuela, saying it’s being used by criminals and enemies of the country to threaten and cause harm.
Maduro also criticized people from Colombia, Miami, Peru, and Chile who use WhatsApp anonymously to attack Venezuela. He boldly declared, “WhatsApp, go to hell!”
Besides WhatsApp, Maduro has also targeted TikTok and Instagram, accusing them of spreading hate and saying he plans to regulate their use. This comes after recent protests in Venezuela against the results of the presidential election, which declared Maduro the winner. Maduro labeled these protests as a “coup attempt” and criticized the Western-backed opposition.
On July 28, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) confirmed Maduro’s victory in the election with 52% of the vote against 43% for his main opponent, Edmundo Gonzalez. Maduro is now set to serve a third consecutive six-year term after first becoming president in 2013 following Hugo Chavez’s death. His 2018 reelection was not recognized by many Latin American countries, the US, and the EU.
In the past, Maduro has also accused Elon Musk and the US government of trying to overthrow him, adding to his long-standing controversies.
