Venezuela shows danger of dictators who use tech to control people

In Venezuela, 2,000 activists have been arbitrarily detained by the government in the aftermath of the country’s July 28 presidential election — an election marred by President Nicolas Maduro’s blatant manipulation to continue securing his grip on power. 

Technology is one of the key instruments to overcome this situation. People are relying on the use of social networks and privacy messenger technologies to coordinate their actions, spread their messages and document injustices. 

However, Maduro has been able to undermine these efforts. He has repressed people by using instruments created for mass surveillance, which should not have been at his disposal if sanctions had been correctly implemented. He has even managed to ban X and Signal from the country, showing the ease of taking away people’s digital freedoms. 

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To guarantee a victory in Venezuela, the U.S. should develop a tech-based foreign policy agenda. America and the free world should guarantee people’s access to technology globally, block autocratic regimes from accessing surveillance technologies and promote policies that protect people’s privacy globally, especially in democracies.

Demonstrators clash with police close to an armored police car during a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on July 29, 2024, a day after the Venezuelan presidential election. (Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images)

Maduro’s tech repression 

Since the 2000s, the socialists in Venezuela have repressed freedom of expression in the country. Virtually every single opposition media outlet has been closed by the regime, including all TV channels that dared to criticize the government.   

For this reason, Venezuelans have been relying on X for accessing trustworthy political information. During political events, accounts like mine can reach over a million people in Venezuela. Similarly, we share important messages via WhatsApp and Signal, enabling people to understand the world around them. 

In response, Maduro started cracking down on people’s digital freedom. Just like the Soviets back in the day, Maduro is encouraging Venezuelans to report citizens who sympathize with the opposition. They do this by installing an app called VenApp.  

Moreover, security forces are stopping citizens and inspecting their phones, including photos, social media profiles and WhatsApp conversations. Detainees are frequently held based on content uncovered during these searches, such as images or conversations related to protests or anti-government expressions. 

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For years, the Venezuelan regime has been under heavy sanctions by the United States and the European Union. However, Maduro and his cronies have had access to cutting-edge technology coming from countries like China. For example, the Chinese company ZTE has been supplying Maduro with advanced surveillance technology, according to NGOs on the ground.  

Building a tech-based foreign policy strategy 

This transaction should never have happened. If policymakers in democratic countries truly want to support freedom activists in places like Venezuela, we need to avoid the transmission of surveillance technologies among autocratic regimes. In fact, we must make sure that no technology developed in the West is used by autocrats to violate the human rights of citizens.  

Maduro’s repressive capacities have even allowed him to not only repress people but also the technologies themselves. Maduro made the decision to ban X and Signal from Venezuela starting in early August. And while we have been in communication with VPN providers to offer free services in Venezuela, the reality is that most citizens were paralyzed by the measure.  

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Maduro should not be able to ban freedom technologies like X and Signal. This is why, I have been discussing with policymakers the idea of a tech-based foreign policy strategy to combat authoritarianism. We should guarantee people’s access to technology. We should block autocratic regimes from accessing surveillance technologies. And we should promote policies that protect people’s privacy globally, especially in democracies. 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gestures as he votes during the presidential election, in Caracas on July 28, 2024. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

These efforts are key to promoting democracy in places like Venezuela. Unfortunately, right now, the West is doing the opposite. Many democratic states are empowering autocrats all over the world by proposing policies that undermine people’s freedoms at home. As usual, politicians propose these measures on national security or personal security grounds. However, as Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." 

In the financial sector, for example, governments have enormous power over citizens’ bank accounts. Global regulations meant to tackle financial crimes allow governments to arbitrarily block people’s bank accounts, freeze their assets and access their banking data, among other measures. This means that the financial data of any American can be attacked by states and competitors all over the world, including Chinese firms. 

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My organization, the Economic Inclusion Group, has been at the forefront of addressing this issue, discussing it with citizens and policymakers, including at institutions like the U.S. Treasury and State Department. Most Americans are shocked when I talk about this with them. However, all over the world, financial laws are being used by regimes to attack their dissidents at home and in exile. In fact, Canadians saw how in 2022 their government froze the bank accounts of the truck drivers who were protesting the cross-border vaccine mandate between Canada and the US. 

From this perspective, promoting democracy internationally lies in protecting people’s right to securely communicate, access information, and make payments. In Venezuela, the regime is winning on all these fronts. We need to step up and win this key battleground.