While In Cuba, Venezuelan President Supposedly Rules Via Twitter

from the #140charactergoverning dept

While Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was recently in Cuba to undergo cancer treatment, several media outlets reported on Chavez using Twitter to run Venezuela. Tweets included an approval of a million dollar garbage collection program and the announcement of a new park in Caracas. As fantastic as the headlines dealing with this news sound, a little nuance is probably needed. Any of the actual decision-making was obviously done in more than 140 characters, and only the actual announcements of decisions were made by Chavez on Twitter. Instead of using it to 'run Venezuela', it would be more accurate to say that Twitter has allowed Chavez to retain a strong image in the run up to upcoming presidential elections. Probably a better strategy than censoring the internet.

Filed Under: communications, government, hugo chavez, twitter

Venezuela Next Up To Try To Censor The Internet

from the good-luck,-hugo dept

Having just criminalized video games the government doesn't like, it looks like Hugo Chavez is looking to have Venezuela be the next country to massively censor the internet.

"The Internet cannot be something open where anything is said and done. No, every country has to apply its own rules and norms,"

Of course, it seems that the "rules and norms" that Chavez wants are "no criticizing me."

"We have to act. We are going to ask the attorney general for help, because this is a crime. I have information that this page periodically publishes stories calling for a coup d'etat. That cannot be permitted,"

Notice the problem here. Chavez's real complaint is with an organization calling for a coup -- but his response is to suggest that special laws need to be placed on all internet communications. There's a disconnect there which doesn't make much sense. If you want to make it illegal to support the overthrow of the government, that's one thing -- but that's different than focusing on laws about the internet. The internet is just a communication mechanism.

Filed Under: censorship, hugo chavez, venezuela