Caracas Chronicles

Can you imagine Venezuela without Twitter? I can’t. It’s become an fundamental part of public life and what remains of our political process. It’s where protests are announced, where politicians lay out their views, where pundits comment, where consensus is formed. It’s a place where politics happens. Journalists report the news on twitter and often, what so-and-so tweeted is itself the news. A flickering light in media blackout abyss. 

In case you feel your timeline is missing something, or that it only gives you white noise from all the Diego Arrias and Lucio Quincios, I give you my essential Twitter recommendations to follow the Venezuelan Zingason.

(Editor’s Note: Go ahead and follow Frank Muci (@frankmuci) on Twitter. Por caridad)

Eugenio G. Martínez

@puzkas: This is THE GUY to follow to learn about elections in Venezuela–before, during and after they happen. Want to know if the RR is possible this year? Want to know what’s up with the Amazonas deputies in the AN? Want to know what the CNE is plotting with elecciones regionales? Scroll down on Eugenio Martinez’s twitter and find out.

Hannah Dreier

@hannahdreier: Hannah is the Associated Press’ Caracas correspondent and boy does she know how to tweet! She tweets great vignettes every day, links/retweets quality articles and gives you the local flavor–with the added street cred of being employed by a major world news outlet. We can just come out and say it: CC and Frank Muci have a crush on Hannah Dreier <3.

Ecoanalítica

@ecoanalitica: This top economic consulting firm keeps you informed with insightful data about Venezuela’s bizarre economy. When the government rolls out policy or shakes up the cabinet, they’re sure to tell you what it means. Use their hashtag #graficodelasemana to their most interesting (depressing) charts, like the one above.

Rocío San Miguel

@rociosanmiguel: Rocío is quite the badass. The best source to get information from the tight/entangled knit that is the military world. Plus, she is an asskicking human rights advocate. A must, if you want to keep up with our Orwellian telenovela.  

José Ignacio Hernández

@ignandez: Want a breakdown of the TSJ’s lewd rulings? Want to know how the TSJ stopped being a supreme court? Want to know just why the TSJ is going straight to hell? Professor Hernandez tells you–in 1080p HD–daily. He puts out incredibly detailed explainers of every TSJ aberration on Prodavinci, basically in real time.

Luis Carlos Díaz

@LuisCarlos: The definitive millennial journo/pundit. In addition to being snarky and hilarious, he’ll regularly pepper your feed with insights and commentary, like the one above. He’s one of the few commonsensers out there in Twitterland, and the guy who snatched (nuestra) Naky‘s heart.

Omar Zambrano

@econ_vzla: Omar is another commonsenser, the type of guy who in the midst of chaos takes his time to think before he writes. Good economic insight and some out of the box thinking. And, by the way, the father of the Caracas Chronicles Legislative Election Forecasting App that NAILED the forecast for the # of MUD deputies.

Efecto Cocuyo

@EfectoCocuyo: Efecto Cocuyo watches and live-tweets every single cadena and government press conference–even the ones that give normal people migraines. Want to save yourself the pain? Just turn off the screen and open Efecto Cocuyo’s twitter for Maduro/Diosdado/whoever’s greatest hits in direct quotes. It’s gold.

Henry Ramos Allup

@hramosallup: Despite his age–or perhaps because of it–Ramos Allup tweets like a boss. He doesn’t do hopeless slogans or stale propaganda. He puts out razor sharp commentary and re-tweets news and other public figures, often from outside his party. You can really hear his epic throaty voice through his tweets.

Isis Ochoa

@ISISPSUV: Ok, this is childish but… did you notice her Twitter handle is ISIS PSUV? Just had to take that off my chest. Well, Isis, as you can see is a hardcore PSUV militant and Frente Francisco de Miranda hardliner, and her timeline is a bit of a gateway to a parallel Universe. But it’s totally worth it, she gives great insight as to what’s going on over there, at the other side of the fence.

Ñapa: El Correo del Guaire

@correoguaire: Although these guys may appear taken from chigüireland, they are sort of the Venezuelan answer to Tolkien’s elvish dialect. Some serious linguistics go into each of Correo del Guaire’s tweets. Understanding them, means you’ve mastered Malandro Speak.