Interviews with Claudio Jose Sandoval

That Chavez has control of the National Electoral Council. And that is the reason why there is no electoral exit to the crisis. The two elements there –One element that proves he has electoral control is Cantv, which is the information technology and telecommunications company of the country. It is the main one and is under Chavez´s control. So it was a private company before and he nationalized it under his Marxist vision. So the role technology has played — Or technology — Technology has played a vital role in this fight for democracy. The fact that Chavez controls the main telecommunications company of the country, like Cantv, has damaged us.

He´s also used technology to tap telephones, to plant counterintelligence or false information on the Internet or delete information. The government is now signing an agreement with China, and through a company called Huawei, it is improving the country´s technological platform. We hope that — This is welcomed. It can only be welcomed when it is used to improve the quality of service. But it´s being rejected — At least I reject it if its intention is to try to control the people. But the opposition also took advantage of the technology. When I took part in the student movement, we used it a lot during marches. A lot of people were saved from repression thanks to the fact that a friend sent a text message saying, “Do not cross this street because the police are coming from there and they´re throwing tear bombs,” for example.

It also served to create massive campaigns through the Internet and the different things that can´t be avoided, like Twitter. Twitter was a way — It has been of great help to the cause of democracy. But although President Chavez tried to combat it in the beginning, he realized that he could use it to his benefit. And, in fact, he has one of the largest followings today. And basically, what I want to say is that technology is being used in this political crisis in Venezuela by both sides. And we, until now, have used it efficiently. And I am convinced that technology is going to help us greatly with campaigns in this strategic plan. Despite the fact that the government is going to try to cut certain technological spaces.

Claudio Jose Sandoval is a Venezuelan human rights advocate. He was trained in social work and studied law at Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas. After the government of President Hugo Chávez closed down the country’s largest private television network, RCTV, in 2007, Sandoval became active in student organizations supporting freedom and democracy in Venezuela. He was active in the pro-democracy coalition Foro por la Vida (Forum for Life) and co-founded an organization called Generación de los Puentes (Generation of Bridges). His book “Beyond the Student Movement” discusses how Venezuela might achieve national reconciliation.