Caracas Chronicles

This week, we’ve seen the dictatorship try every trick in their book to quash the opposition’s peaceful protests. They’ve infiltrated them to turn them violent, used tons of gas del bueno, even shut down Caracas’ subway system. But going after the people hasn’t worked, so they decided to go after the leaders.

They started by hinting at holding (long overdue) regional elections while barring some would-be candidates from running for office, hoping leaders would lose focus and unity. Nope, didn’t work, the marches continued. So they pulled out the big guns: on state TV, twice, the regime published the home addresses of opposition leaders, openly calling their followers to “do what must be done”, and to “go where they need to go”.

Let me say it again. The government of one of the world’s most dangerous countries, having armed paramilitary groups in its defense, has just started doxing its opponents, making it dead easy for anyone to target them. They even brag that el pueblo is spreading this crap!

Obviously, images featuring the addresses of these opposition elected officials and private citizens have already surfaced on Twitter, sometimes accompanied by hate messages such as “this terrorist lives at such and such an address.”

Yes, really. I wish I was kidding.

Any item that gets widely shared online will stay there forever. And when that something is as permanent and private as a home address, I can’t help but fear that this might lead to a calamity. Remember that for Diosdado’s and Carreño’s dates with justice.

Until then, leaders, please, cuídense.