Venezuelans turn to Twitter to have voices heard

The Venezuelan government continues its quest to cease dissenting voices, and censor the opposition on airwaves, but this has led to a widespread campaign for freedom of speech on Twitter.

The hashtags #freemedia and #freemediave are gaining in popularity, particularly in Venezuela itself.

This is an ongoing story related to Breaking Tweets’ July 10 report that the Venezuelan government was cracking down on broadcasts throughout the country, setting new cable television standards and revoking the licenses of 240 radio stations.

There has been such a backlash on Twitter – thousands of tweets in recent days – that the government issued an official response, stating that the “extreme” had colonized the social network, according to El Nacional.

Here’s just a sampling of the tweets from Caracas that continue to flow on this issue:

sayiarly (Caracas, Venezuela) For the Venezuelan Government the security of the State is more important than Freedom of speech. #Freemediave 03 Aug 2009 from web

johkhz (Caracas, Venezuela) Hablar con Oficialista es como hablar con pared. No dejan q uno termine expresar ideas y. De paso, atacan el raciocinio. #freemediave (Speak with officials is like to talk to the wall. Q Do not leave a complete express ideas y. In passing, attacking the intellect.) 03 Aug 2009 from UberTwitter

SimonCanelonC (Caracas, Venezuela) Unión Radio sería cerrada la próxima semana, Venezuela despierta es el momento. #freemediave (Radio Union will be closed next week, Venezuela is to awake the moment.) 03 Aug 2009 from web

LatinCosmicGirl (Caracas, Venezuela) http://respirando-ando.blogspot.com/ “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery” Robert Nesta Marley. #freemediave 03 Aug 2009 from web

LaGrigo (Caracas, Venezuela) bnas noches amigos twitteros hasta mañana a seguir la lucha ya saben lo d mañana! #freemediave NO CALLAREMOS (bnas friends twitter until tomorrow night to continue the fight and know what d morning!) 03 Aug 2009 from HootSuite

lindriago (Caracas, Venezuela) @Naldoxx ¿Tenías aún duda que el cierre de 34 emisoras no fuera una medida políca? #freemediave (Did you have still doubt that the closure of 34 stations was not a police action?) 03 Aug 2009 from TweetDeck in reply to Naldoxx

Pomarrossa (Caracas, Venezuela) “ay la verdad es que yo no oí nada eso” señora encuestada en @globovision sobre el tema de las radios cerradas #freemediave (”Oh the truth is that I did not hear anything like that” lady surveyed in @Globovisión about radios closed) 03 Aug 2009 from web

mariagab (Caracas, Venezuela) @brujadelunivers recuerda usar el hashtag #freemediave para repudiar la perdida de la libertad de expresion y medios en Vzla (recall using hashtag #freemediawave to repudiate the loss of freedom of expression and media in Vzla) 03 Aug 2009 from UberTwitter in reply to brujadelunivers

djivanoff (Caracas, Venezuela) According to wthashtag.com #freemediave 35,741 tweets, 3,179 contributors, 5,105.9 tweets per day keep the good work http://bit.ly/Gt52M 03 Aug 2009 from TweetDeck

LeUrticant (Caracas, Venezuela) Cuanto ha gastado Chavez en campañas internacionales, lobbies y propaganda? Twitter puede tumbar eso. Se acabará pan de pikito #freemediave (As Chavez has spent on international campaigns, lobbying and propaganda? Twitter can topple it. Bread will end elite) 03 Aug 2009 from web