Venezuela: President takes to Twitter
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has joined Twitter. The outspoken head of state has opened an account on the online microblogging service under the name chavezcandanga, announced Venezuelan Minister of Public Works Diosdado Cabello.
In Venezuela, Candanga is the name given to someone who is wild or cheeky. According to SDA, Cabello announced the government's offensive in Caracas on Monday. She will now also spread her ideology via social networks on the internet.
The opposition in the country currently believes that networks such as Twitter and Facebook belong to them, said Cabello. "But we are taking up the fight against them, and we are seven million activists who are going to conquer Twitter." Critics accuse the Chavez government of leveling the media in Venezuela by shutting down opposition radio stations and newspapers. However, the Internet is still largely uncharted territory for the leadership in Caracas. Of Venezuela's 27 million inhabitants, only around 30 percent have access to the internet.
The opposition in the country currently believes that networks such as Twitter and Facebook belong to them, said Cabello. "But we are taking up the fight against them, and we are seven million activists who are going to conquer Twitter." Critics accuse the Chavez government of leveling the media in Venezuela by shutting down opposition radio stations and newspapers. However, the Internet is still largely uncharted territory for the leadership in Caracas. Of Venezuela's 27 million inhabitants, only around 30 percent have access to the internet.
