The huge lobby of the Humboldt Hotel, high in the mountains above Caracas, was silent. Inside, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had just scolded his top officials to take action.
By: Bloomberg Line
“Why don’t you give me likes and retweets? That doesn’t cost them anything.”
“The new generation doesn’t watch television. We have to innovate. “All of you leaders, take note and do it today,” said the president, who is seeking a third term. during a televised meeting on May 16.
Around him, his vice president, ministers, and other senior officials were frantically taking notes or nodding silently.
“We are going to do it so that you can see how we won the people’s communication battle,” he said.
The orders are just one facet of Maduro’s effort to flood Venezuelans – especially the country’s youth – with endless hours of content that attempts to transform him from being one of the world’s most notorious despots to a harmless, charismatic and likable person. He has a three-hour long variety show. A singing contest. An animated series. A weekly podcast. Carpool-karaoke style interviews. TikTok viral videos. A WhatsApp channel.
All of this is quite unusual for a president. But, after stabilizing an economy that had been in free fall for years, Maduro is trying to renew his image inside and outside the country.
It is a critical time to do so, after openly violating a US-brokered agreement to hold free and fair presidential elections on July 28. He disqualified opposition primary winner María Corina Machado, prevented her original replacement from running for office, and issued 15 arrest warrants against her collaborators and allies. Maduro remains convinced that he can defeat Edmundo González, the last opposition candidate, despite his 20 percentage point lead in the polls.
You can read the full note at Bloomberg Line
