How Venezuela's vice grip on the internet leaves citizens in the dark during crises.
CARACAS, Venezuela — Four days after first hearing about an attempted military uprising backed by Venezuela’s opposition leader, Aida Perozo was still waiting to hear details about what exactly had transpired.
Perozo said she wakes up every day at 3 a.m. local time to check her social media accounts and reply to messages in the encrypted messaging service WhatsApp, to which her daughter in Spain sends newscasts recorded on her smartphone. Intermittent blackouts due to government power rationing mean that Perozo often goes many hours with no power or cell service. She said she sleeps with her phone on her pillow.
The information drought left many in the country with few details on the uprising. In Maracaibo, people like Perozo took to the streets. Others banged on pots outside their home windows, but had little information beyond Guaidó’s initial announcement.
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