Venezuelan National Assembly to Approve Laws Against Hate Speech
Legislator Jorge Rodriguez, Aug. 12, 2024. Photo: VTV
August 13, 2024 Hour: 9:44 am
The Law Against Hatred will regulate the operation of social media, something that already happens in over 70 countries.
On Monday, the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, indicated that lawmakers are pushing forward provisions aimed at combating the spread of hatred, terrorism, and fascist expressions in the country.
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“In response to the request made by President Nicolas Maduro, we will approve a package of laws to protect and defend our population from the spread of social hatred and fascist terrorism on social media,” he said during a meeting of the National Defense Council.
To achieve this goal, the Bolivarian lawmakers will review, in a second instance, the “Law on the Oversight, Action, and Financing of Non-Governmental Organizations and Non-Profit Social Organizations.”
“NGOs are regulated almost everywhere in the world, but not in Venezuela. While there are NGOs like the Red Cross that provide services to people, there are many NGOs that are a front for financing terrorist actions, such as those implemented by far-right small commandos,” Rodriguez said.
The president of the National Assembly then recalled that opposition politician Julio Borges made public statements admitting that NGOs are used for the objectives of the Venezuelan far-right.
“He said it was necessary to rearm the small commandos and that they already had money approved by the agency to finance the ‘Small Commandos.’ Which agency? The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is the main financier of the Carter Center,” Rodriguez pointed out.
Venezuelan lawmakers will also analyze the “Law Against Fascism, Neo-Fascism, and Similar Expressions,” which seeks to confront ideological currents that pose a danger to the Bolivarian nation’s cohesion.
The Socialist legislator also spoke about the need to discuss the “Law Against Hatred” to regulate the operation of social media, something that already happens in over 70 countries.
“France began discussing this issue in 2018. There, social media is regulated during electoral campaigns. The European Union started discussing it in 2019. Great Britain drafted a social media regulation project in 2020, which required impartiality on political issues,” Rodriguez recalled.
“In 2020, Ireland fined Twitter for getting involved in a political campaign. At that time, the fascist Elon Musk was not yet Twitter’s owner. Currently, the use of this platform to attack sovereign governments has been exacerbated,” he added.
The National Assembly president also explained that the regulation of social media is a protective measure for children because “they are being subjected to an infection of hatred and manipulation.”
teleSUR/ JF Source: VTV – teleSUR
