President Nicolas Maduro Warns About the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health and Politics in an Interview With Ignacio Ramonet

The president also criticized censorship on TikTok, noting that the platform deletes accounts and videos at will, while in the past, it promoted violent content against Venezuela. “Now they are promoting these viral challenges,” he added, referring to dangerous trends that have emerged on the platform. Jan 1st, 2025 Photo: VTV

January 1, 2025 Hour: 9:40 pm

In this context, Maduro made an urgent call to protect the mental health of children and youth, warning that excessive use of social networks is seriously affecting their cognitive development. “We are obliged to protect the mental health of our countries,” he emphasized.

In a recent interview with journalist Ignacio Ramonet, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro addressed the role of social media in political manipulation and its impact on the mental health of young people.

During the conversation, Maduro stated that these platforms have been instrumentalized to destabilize countries and manipulate electoral processes.

The head of state specifically pointed to TikTok, saying that the social network has succumbed to “blackmail” and the “command of the powerful in the United States.”

Additionally, Maduro pledged to collaborate with the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela to implement measures that safeguard the emotional well-being of society. “I serve those in humanity who want to defend the right to mental health,” said the president.

The president also criticized censorship on TikTok, noting that the platform deletes accounts and videos at will, while in the past, it promoted violent content against Venezuela.

“Now they are promoting these viral challenges,” he added, referring to dangerous trends that have emerged on the platform.

Finally, Maduro stressed the importance of countries understanding advances in artificial intelligence, calling it a “technological breakthrough that surprises humanity.”

With these statements, the president seeks to raise awareness of the challenges facing modern societies in an increasingly complex digital environment.

The interview reflects the Venezuelan government’s concerns about the use of social media and its influence on politics and mental health—issues that continue to be debated around the world.