Facebook has blocked Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s page for thirty days for spreading disinformation about COVID-19, according to the platform. Maduro claimed in a video, without proof, that a particular drug could cure the disease. Facebook has removed the images, the social network reports Saturday.
The Venezuelan president already promoted the drug in January. According to Maduro, the treatment method could help both in cure and prevention.
However, Facebook emphasizes that the video goes against the terms of use. “We follow the guidelines of the health organization WHO, which say that there is no medication that can cure the coronavirus,” said a spokesman. “Due to repeated violations of our rules, we block the page for thirty days.” The page Maduro can now only be read, no new messages can be posted during this period.
The administrators of Maduro’s page have been notified of the block. His account Instagram, the platform owned by Facebook, can still be used.
The Venezuelan Ministry of Information did not want to respond on Saturday. Maduro complained in February that Facebook is censoring his videos and that social media companies are treating him unfairly. He is a major user of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, among others, which he often uses for live sessions.
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