E-Paper
Who is Oscar Alejandro, Venezuelan youtuber arrested over terrorism charges?
Venezuelan youtuber, Oscar Alejandro was arrested at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, near Caracas, over terrorism charges
Venezuelan authorities have arrested the renowned YouTuber, Oscar Alejandro, this Sunday at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, near Caracas.
The family stated that the arrest was made under alleged "terrorism" accusations. However, the Prosecutor's Office, controlled by Nicolás Maduro's regime, has not issued an official statement yet.
"Oscar Alejandro's arrest is linked to accusations of terrorism," read the family statement posted on his social media. With 1.89 million subscribers on YouTube, Oscar Alejandro is well-known for promoting Venezuelan culture.
"Recognized for his work in promoting Venezuelan culture, he now faces this legal process. The family hopes that the judicial process, which will begin with a hearing on Monday, April 1, 2024, in the 2nd Court of Control of the Metropolitan Area, will clarify the details of the situation and ensure fair treatment in accordance with Oscar Alejandro's legal rights," the public complaint concluded.
Various press reports state that the YouTuber is detained at the Antiterrorism Division of the Scientific Investigation Corps of Venezuela headquarters.
Oscar Alejandro was arrested while preparing to travel with his family to Canaima National Park in the State of Bolívar.
This is yet another case where Venezuelan authorities have used "terrorism" accusations to arrest civilians, journalists, activists, or opinion leaders amid increasing repression leading up to the presidential election on July 28.
Why was Oscar Alejandro's Arrested?
Although Venezuelan authorities have not specified the accusations against the YouTuber, accounts on Twitter linked to the Maduro regime began falsely accusing Oscar Alejandro of inciting an attack against a crucial building in Caracas.
In a video cited by numerous accounts on Twitter that support the Maduro regime or consistently criticize Venezuelan dissidents, Oscar Alejandro briefly mentioned the Credicard Tower in Caracas. He noted that the building houses the servers for all the credit and debit cards in Venezuela. "If a bomb were thrown at that building, the entire national banking system would collapse," he said in the video, highlighting the vulnerability of Venezuela's electronic payment system.
The video, published seven months ago, had no impact until today when dozens of accounts began to share it after news of the YouTuber's arrest spread on social media.
Many Venezuelan users on social media, including journalists and human rights defenders, claimed that Oscar Alejandro's detention was arbitrary and unfounded.
The YouTuber, known for producing and publishing videos about travel and Venezuelan culture, publicly stated months ago that he avoided discussing politics or showcasing Venezuela's complex situation on his YouTube channel due to fears of retaliation from Maduro's regime.
Recently, Oscar Alejandro traveled to Nicaragua, a country governed by socialist dictator Daniel Ortega, an ally of Maduro.
Oscar Alejandro's videos about Nicaragua faced censorship, drawing international attention to the issue.
