“Mami, delete the chats.”
“Son, that gets recorded.”
“Delete your conversations before going out.”
These recent WhatsApp messages of a Venezuelan family – who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals – underscore the caution civilians are taking in their daily conversations, on social media and in text messages as the government expands its crackdown on dissenting speech.
Reports of authorities searching civilians’ phones for political content critical of the government have increased since officials declared a state of emergency in response to the US attack in Caracas, which led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
…