The NGO VEwithoutFilter rated as a “new surveillance mechanism” the application that Nicolas Maduro proposed to create so that, in his own words, the people can report “everything you see, everything you hear” the 24 hours of day.
In a statement released this Wednesdaythe organization expressed its worry before the “sustained intentions of the administration of Nicolás Maduro to promote denunciation as a formula for persecution, censorship and social control”.
The NGO warned that “This initiative represents a serious risk to privacy, freedom of expression and the integrity of people”since it drives “a system of social surveillance and the militarization of citizen control”. Furthermore, he recalled that “This is not the first time that the Government uses apps under its control for surveillance and repression purposes”.
VEsinFiltro pointed out that, after the presidential elections of July 28, 2024Maduro announced a feature in the application VenApp for “denounce those who protested against the announced results”which gave victory to the president and generated massive demonstrations after the opposition denounces electoral fraud.
The NGO explained that VenAppcreated in 2022was born as a social network intended to receive complaints about failures in public servicesbut ended up being used for political purposes.
“In response to its use to expose and persecute citizens, the Google (Play Store) and Apple (App Store) stores removed the application”stated VEsinFiltro, adding that VenApp now only works through their website and? “It is unknown if the government will try to publish a new app”.
Last Monday, Maduro proposed developing a new application in which the Bolivarian National Armed Forcesthe Communal Militia Units and the Popular bases of Comprehensive Defense.
For the NGO, an app “controlled by military or militia structures cannot be considered a tool of participation, but rather an instrument of surveillance”.
The initiative arises in a context of tension between Venezuela and the United Statesa country that maintains a naval deployment in the Caribbean Seanear the Venezuelan coast, with the argument of combating drug trafficking.
