Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned Twitter as an expression of fascism, accusing the US company of persecuting his followers after several pro-government accounts were suspended.
Among the suspended accounts was that of Radio Miraflores, a station set up by Maduro that broadcasts a weekly salsa show hosted by the president. Maduro called on his supporters to publish pictures of Twitter's head in Venezuela, saying: 'Let the people know who is responsible for this manipulation.'
It is unclear if Twitter has any employees in Venezuela, and the company has not responded to the allegations. The reasons for the suspensions and the total number of affected accounts remain unknown.
Maduro claimed that thousands of accounts had been suspended because his followers represent 'an expression of the truth' and are a majority. Earlier, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas stated that 180 accounts were affected.
Twitter's guidelines state that accounts can be suspended for tweeting abuse, spam, or threatening security.
