Venezuela's civic space hangs in the balance with election results
The stakes are very high for civil society, as the civic space risks being completely shut down under a new Maduro administration.
Authorities and internet operators severely limited access to information ahead of crucial elections
Originally published on Global Voices
Photo of the Venezuelan flag by Joseph Remedor via Flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0.
This story was written by Laura Vidal for IFEX. It has been edited and republished on Global Voices under a media agreement.
Venezuela’s presidential elections on July 28 resulted in the official declaration of Nicolás Maduro’s victory. However, the opposition, numerous international organizations, and some regional governments have questioned the legitimacy of the results, calling for a thorough review. The elections were marred by violations of voter rights, restrictions on freedom of expression, and severe limitations on press freedom.
The stakes are very high for civil society, as the civic space risks being completely shut down under a new Maduro administration. Given the trend of past years, with the closing of hundreds of radio stations, attacks against the press, limited access to the internet, and arbitrary detentions of opposition figures and journalists, the prospect of another six years raises significant concerns.
The media landscape was heavily controlled ahead of the elections, with government oversight and self-censorship skewing journalistic coverage. Journalists and press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, an IFEX member, noted that TV and radio stations provided extensive coverage of Maduro’s campaign while largely ignoring the opposition. News about opposition candidates like Edmundo González and opposition leader María Corina Machado was restricted to independent news websites, many of which were blocked, and social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp.
Opposition politicians’ appearances on mainstream media have been rare. For example, when presidential candidate González appeared on local TV station Venevisión in April, social media users talked more about the channel’s decision to air the interview rather than the content of his political plans.
Local organization VE Sin Filtro reported that state-owned CANTV and other private internet operators blocked key news portals like TalCual, El Estímulo, Analítica, and Runrunes, as well as NGO sites Medianálisis and Observatorio de Internet VE Sin Filtro.
In the weeks leading up to the elections, radio programs featuring opposition candidates were closed. The NGO Laboratorio de Paz reported an increase in detentions of opposition members, state violence, and the misuse of public platforms for pro-chavista campaigns. At least 76 arbitrary arrests occurred in the two weeks before election day.
Civil society remained vigilant, with organizations like Espacio Público, an IFEX member, conducting live broadcasts, highlighting censorship and publishing reports on the situation. Despite challenges, efforts were made to ensure information access, including a new app by VE Sin Filtro to help bypass media blockages, particularly for those without access to VPNs.