Latin America In Focus

Since he came to power 11 years ago, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has been stacking the decks in his political favor. But will he hit a wall in the July 28 election? The regime disqualified popular rival candidate Maria Corina Machado, yet a unified opposition is leading the polls. “[The Maduro government] could try to do a mega fraud, but the political costs, even within the ruling coalition, could be very high,” journalist and political analyst Tony Frangie Mawad tells AS/COA’s Guillermo Zubillaga in an on-the-ground view of the electoral competition.The fight to govern Venezuela is being played out online as well. Mariví Marin Vázquez, founder and executive director of digital observatory ProBox, explains why the country’s voters have turned to social media to get news. She told AS/COA’s Carin Zissis how the regime exploits social media algorithms as it seeks to soften Maduro’s image, even as online tools offer an opportunity for independent news sources and civil society to share information.Access other ep