For Many In Venezuela, Social Media Is A Matter Of Life And Death
For Many In Venezuela, Social Media Is A Matter Of Life And Death
"There is a real self-censorship now in Venezuela," says AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth on the cost of using social media under the Maduro regime.
Guillermo does not exist — on social media at least. He has a Facebook account, but he doesn't publicly use his real name. He doesn't have a profile picture, doesn't show his location, and never posts a single thing. He mostly logs in to read about sports.
Guillermo asked that his last name be withheld — he worries about his family. They still live in Venezuela. Amid political and economic chaos, over a million Venezuelans have left the country in the last two years.
Guillermo, who lives in New York, worries that if he posts anything indicating he might have money, "someone I know, or who knows my family, could kidnap them. Just because of a picture. Because they might think that I can pay a ransom of thousands of dollars."
