Venezuela's Maduro Claims TikTok and Instagram Are Part of 'Active Conspiracy' Against His Regime

Venezuela's authoritarian 'President Nicolás Maduro accused TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms of participating in what he called an "active conspiracy" and "psychological war" against his regime, escalating his rhetoric against tech companies amid rising political tensions at home and abroad.

"All of those people are actively incorporated into the conspiracy of psychological warfare against Venezuela," Maduro told a group of pro-government youth gathered in Caracas. He singled out the Chinese-owned TikTok and Meta's Instagram, urging his supporters to "win the battle of social media" and praising young activists who he said had "taken great steps" in defending the government online.

His remarks came as Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reiterated earlier in the week that "every Venezuelan with a phone is a reporter" in defense of the nation, framing online engagement as part of a broader communications strategy during the ongoing U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean — a deployment the Maduro government has described as a threat.

The ruling Socialist Party recently formalized that approach, concluding in a party congress that members have a duty to "defend the truth of Venezuela" amid what it called a "cognitive, communicational, and psychological war." Maduro has increasingly blamed foreign platforms for domestic unrest, including ordering a 10-day suspension of X (formerly Twitter) in August 2024 — a block that remains in place more than a year later.

The president's comments coincide with new findings from Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2025 report, which ranked Venezuela "Not Free" with a score of 30 out of 100. The report states that authorities have "closed off virtually all channels for political dissent" and that Venezuelans face an online environment defined by censorship, surveillance, and arrests for digital activity.

Freedom House noted that social media platforms, including Instagram and X, are among those "regularly disrupted or blocked," particularly during political crises such as the contested 2024 presidential election.

"Take down as many accounts of me as you want, imperialist fools," Maduro said in a televised broadcast, adding that his messages would continue circulating despite platform restrictions. YouTube confirmed that removals of accounts linked to the Venezuelan state follow U.S. legal requirements.

The closures have intensified Maduro's claims that international tech companies are aligned against his government. Freedom House's report notes that Venezuela's digital space has become structurally restrictive, with independent media suppressed and internet blocks "used to control information flows during moments of political sensitivity."