Amnesty International has denounced the Maduro regime’s encouragement of the use of an app to denounce opponents.

Then go Amnesty International This Wednesday, he denounced that the regime Nicolas Maduro An app launched in 2022 is being used to facilitate Arrest of opponents In the context of the protests that occur daily throughout Venezuela due to the fraud of the recent elections.

The application in question is com.VenAppa platform created in 2022 for reporting Problems with basic services Such as power outages, water shortages, and medical emergencies. But after the lack of transparency in the July 28 elections, which unleashed a wave of peaceful protests across the country, the ruling party decided to modify the program so that its followers could alert them to the outbreak of demonstrations.

Thus, on the night of July 30, during a mass rally in front of Miraflores Palace, Maduro confirmed that “Let’s open a page From VenApp to all residents so that there is, They secretly gave me information about those who threatened people, who attacked people, so that I could pursue them and ensure swift justice..

Footage circulating on social media showed this change, with the new window appearing in which the option appears. File a complaint to the “Fascist Guarimba” You can also add what kind of “riot” these people will be doing: Looting, Damage to public property, Disturbing public order And attacks on peopleamong other things.

As a result of these changes, both App Store how Google Apps The store has removed the app from their catalogs, although this does not prevent it from being used by those who have already downloaded it to their devices.

However, Amnesty International noted that the platforms allowed these types of modifications in the first place, in the context in which they were introduced.

“The fact that technology developers are reviewing the app to add this new feature and technology platforms and then including it in widely available sources raises the question: “Are these companies fulfilling their human rights responsibilities?”This is what Matt Mahmoudi, director of the Silicon Valley Initiative of the NGO, confirmed. “The Venezuelan administration’s long history of suppressing any form of opposition”.

He then added that if human rights were taken into account, the companies would have “assessed the risk that the Venezuelan government would use this app, not only to limit people’s rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, but also to potentially contribute to unlawful arrests, detentions, and other serious human rights violations.”

Amnesty International has documented time and again how tech companies often continue to do this. Practices that negatively impact human rights Without adequate assessment of these risks“These companies have a responsibility to act with due diligence,” Al-Mahmoudi concluded.

The NGO Foro Penal reported on Wednesday that they had already done so. 1,152 Arbitrarily detained, including: 101 teens, 5 indigenous peopleHundreds of civilians and the same number of politicians and collaborators in the last elections. Moreover, it has already been reported 11 deceased.

Most of the detainees are accused. incitement to hatred, terrorism, country betrayal, criminal association And Obstruction of public roadsalthough some also point out that resistance to authority.

Moreover, these people are victims of the “normal pattern” of the system on which it is based. “Restriction of the right to defense”“Private defense is not allowed; the Ombudsman is imposed on them and hearings are held with people held in detention centers, most of the time, without the detainee being allowed any contact with the outside world,” said Alfredo Romero, president of the NGO.

“There is also no communication with family members.”“This did not allow us to know their physical condition or health status,” he added.

(Information from Europa Press)