On January 13, 2019, the Wikimedia Foundation declared that it would start an investigation to understand what really happened, as until the day of their statement, it continued to receive traffic from visits and edits coming from Venezuela.[21]
Government of Venezuela
On January 15, 2019, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro spoke about Wikipedia and expressed that the Venezuelan opposition "intends to seize political power and become the president of the republic of Wikipedia, of the Twitter republic," referring to the edit war that occurred due to the appointment of Juan Guaidó as president during the presidential crisis.[22] Maduro added, "Let them keep their Wikipedia, with their Twitter."[23]
So far, the only response the Venezuelan government has given about the Wikipedia blockade was offered on January 18 by William Castillo, Vice Minister of International Communication, to the digital media outlet eldiario.es. Castillo stated that "there is no blockade of Wikipedia in Venezuela," attributing the access difficulties reported by users of the public operator to a possible "denial-of-service attack (DOS) carried out by third parties, in the context of the political and communicational destabilization operations underway in Venezuela that aim, among other things, to damage the country's image." Castillo also assured that the two possibilities of legally blocking a website in Venezuela are through an administrative process that must be notified to all involved parties "and which obliges listening to the corresponding versions" or through a judicial blockade, affirming that "neither of these conditions has occurred in the case of Wikipedia."[24]
In a statement, Wikimedia Venezuela indicated:
"During the last 72 hours, volunteers from the non-profit civil association of Wikipedia have reported their inability to access the free encyclopedia through the most important Internet service provider in Venezuela, the state company CANTV."
On January 16, 2019, Wikimedia Venezuela asked the Venezuelan government to unblock access to Wikipedia in Venezuela.[26]
Some users informed Wikimedia Venezuela that the blockade ended on January 18, 2019, Wikimedia is trying to confirm this fact.[27]
Human rights violations in 2022
On October 17, 2022, Óscar Costero, a well-known Wikipedian, appeared at the main office of the Administrative Service for Identification, Migration, and Immigration (Saime) in Caracas after facing online difficulties renewing his passport. What seemed like a mere administrative procedure turned into a series of
Human rights violations in 2022
On October 17, 2022, Óscar Costero, a well-known Wikipedian, appeared at the main office of the Administrative Service for Identification, Migration, and Immigration (Saime) in Caracas after facing online difficulties renewing his passport. What seemed like a mere administrative procedure turned into a series of human rights violations.[28][29][30][31]
Upon arrival, he was informed of a supposed "prohibition to leave the country". A staff member, who did not want to be identified, kept him waiting for hours and finally forced him to sign a statement indicating that he was being investigated and had not been mistreated during his stay at Saime. This situation escalated quickly when, without prior notice, he was detained by the Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigations Corps (CICPC) and taken for interrogation.[28][29]
Controversy on Wikipedia
Tension arose due to an editorial conflict over the biographical profile of Juan Guaidó on Wikipedia. The editors failed to reach a consensus on whether Guaidó should be recognized as president of Venezuela. This "edit war" led the government to temporarily block access to Wikipedia in the country. Although Wikimedia Venezuela requested clarity on the reasons for the blockade, access was restored a week later without an official explanation.[28][29][30][31]
Detention and due process violation
In October 2022, Oscar Costero was arbitrarily detained while trying to renew his passport. During his detention, he was questioned about his personal life, finances, and his relationship with Wikimedia and Santiago De Viana. This act was denounced by the NGO Espacio Público, which considered the detention a violation of due process. It is also alleged that Costero was baselessly accused of money laundering and incitement to hatred.[32][29][30][31]
Defamation campaign
De Viana was particularly susceptible to defamation due to a pseudonym he used on Wikipedia, which was closely linked to his real name. As a result, an anonymous blog campaign was launched, labeling him as a "Wikipedia extortionist". These unverified reports also linked the editors to drug trafficking activities.[28][29][30][31]
Repercussion and response
The NGO Espacio Público has actively defended Óscar Costero's rights, demanding transparency and access to the case file. The organization emphasizes the importance of freedom of expression and association, highlighting how they are essential for the existence of a democratic society.[30][31]
The case of Costero and De Viana illustrates the precarious situation of freedom of expression in certain regions and highlights the challenges faced by those who contribute to the dissemination of free and objective information.[28][29][30][31]
