Laura Vidal
@elevidalbe.bsky.social
Researcher in DigiRights, FoE & Interculturality. Working as Americas editor for IFEX and Comms lead at Digital Action.
I share ideas that pop during and between projects/readings.
Currently curating analysis and testimonies about Venezuela.
SP/EN/FR
I share ideas that pop during and between projects/readings.
Currently curating analysis and testimonies about Venezuela.
SP/EN/FR
Pinned
Laura Vidal
@elevidalbe.bsky.social
· Jan 6
Since there are many interesting and useful nuances shared by human rights activists, journalists and researchers that are not covered beyond LatAm I thought of sharing some of those here (a bit summarized and contextualized if needed). I'll be putting the source at the bottom of the thread.
This Friday: A Discussion with Venezuelans and Iranians in the diaspora about how to be in solidarity in this moment of crisis & change
Learning Resistance through Global Solidarity
We’re not Fighting Alone.
www.eventbrite.com/e/understand...
Learning Resistance through Global Solidarity
We’re not Fighting Alone.
www.eventbrite.com/e/understand...
Understanding What It Means to Be in Solidarity with Iranians & Venezuelans
A Discussion with Venezuelans and Iranians in the diaspora about how to be in solidarity in this moment of crisis & change
www.eventbrite.com
January 28, 2026 at 11:03 AM
This Friday: A Discussion with Venezuelans and Iranians in the diaspora about how to be in solidarity in this moment of crisis & change
Learning Resistance through Global Solidarity
We’re not Fighting Alone.
www.eventbrite.com/e/understand...
Learning Resistance through Global Solidarity
We’re not Fighting Alone.
www.eventbrite.com/e/understand...
[🇻🇪 Rafael Uzcátegui. Human Rights defender]
"The #Venezuelan case offers a particularly clear lens to examine what might be called “minor colonialism”: how distant, well-meaning discourse can shape global understanding of a crisis more than the voices of those who have to live through it."
"The #Venezuelan case offers a particularly clear lens to examine what might be called “minor colonialism”: how distant, well-meaning discourse can shape global understanding of a crisis more than the voices of those who have to live through it."
January 21, 2026 at 9:09 AM
[🇻🇪 Rafael Uzcátegui. Human Rights defender]
"The #Venezuelan case offers a particularly clear lens to examine what might be called “minor colonialism”: how distant, well-meaning discourse can shape global understanding of a crisis more than the voices of those who have to live through it."
"The #Venezuelan case offers a particularly clear lens to examine what might be called “minor colonialism”: how distant, well-meaning discourse can shape global understanding of a crisis more than the voices of those who have to live through it."
Reposted by Laura Vidal
"A medic at one Tehran hospital said there were "direct shots to the heads of the young people, to their hearts as well", while a doctor said an eye hospital in the capital had gone into crisis mode"
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Iran medics describe hospitals overwhelmed with dead and injured protesters
Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed and injured by the security forces, with more than 70 bodies brought to one hospital.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 10:05 PM
"A medic at one Tehran hospital said there were "direct shots to the heads of the young people, to their hearts as well", while a doctor said an eye hospital in the capital had gone into crisis mode"
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
[🇻🇪 Luis Carlos Díaz, Journalist and Human Rights Defender]
"One often-missed complexity of political prisoners in Venezuela is this: they are not prisoners of “the government” as a single entity. They are prisoners of the different factions that divide power."
"One often-missed complexity of political prisoners in Venezuela is this: they are not prisoners of “the government” as a single entity. They are prisoners of the different factions that divide power."
January 10, 2026 at 6:20 AM
[🇻🇪 Luis Carlos Díaz, Journalist and Human Rights Defender]
"One often-missed complexity of political prisoners in Venezuela is this: they are not prisoners of “the government” as a single entity. They are prisoners of the different factions that divide power."
"One often-missed complexity of political prisoners in Venezuela is this: they are not prisoners of “the government” as a single entity. They are prisoners of the different factions that divide power."
[🇻🇪 CEPAZ HDR organization]
"Venezuela’s current crisis demands an honest reflection on the role the international community has played—and continues to play—in shaping its trajectory. The opportunity to act responsibly is still present, but time is short."
"Venezuela’s current crisis demands an honest reflection on the role the international community has played—and continues to play—in shaping its trajectory. The opportunity to act responsibly is still present, but time is short."
January 10, 2026 at 6:12 AM
[🇻🇪 CEPAZ HDR organization]
"Venezuela’s current crisis demands an honest reflection on the role the international community has played—and continues to play—in shaping its trajectory. The opportunity to act responsibly is still present, but time is short."
"Venezuela’s current crisis demands an honest reflection on the role the international community has played—and continues to play—in shaping its trajectory. The opportunity to act responsibly is still present, but time is short."
[🇻🇪 Rafael Uzcátegui HRD]
"Several well-intentioned statements claim that “the U.S. has imposed a government on Venezuela.” While understandable, this framing actually obscures the complexity of the current moment—and risks portraying real existing chavismo as a victim."
"Several well-intentioned statements claim that “the U.S. has imposed a government on Venezuela.” While understandable, this framing actually obscures the complexity of the current moment—and risks portraying real existing chavismo as a victim."
January 8, 2026 at 9:30 PM
[🇻🇪 Rafael Uzcátegui HRD]
"Several well-intentioned statements claim that “the U.S. has imposed a government on Venezuela.” While understandable, this framing actually obscures the complexity of the current moment—and risks portraying real existing chavismo as a victim."
"Several well-intentioned statements claim that “the U.S. has imposed a government on Venezuela.” While understandable, this framing actually obscures the complexity of the current moment—and risks portraying real existing chavismo as a victim."
[This one's just mine, gathering from readings, research work and the overall experience of being VZ abroad]
Watching people we admire (writers, journalists, colleagues who taught us to see nuance) walk away has been one of the hardest parts of this.
Watching people we admire (writers, journalists, colleagues who taught us to see nuance) walk away has been one of the hardest parts of this.
January 8, 2026 at 5:35 PM
[This one's just mine, gathering from readings, research work and the overall experience of being VZ abroad]
Watching people we admire (writers, journalists, colleagues who taught us to see nuance) walk away has been one of the hardest parts of this.
Watching people we admire (writers, journalists, colleagues who taught us to see nuance) walk away has been one of the hardest parts of this.
[🇻🇪 Naky Soto, HR defender and political analyst]
"As days pass, it’s clearer that Trump exploited the institutional devastation engineered by chavismo, turning regime insiders into the executors of Maduro’s removal, freezing the Armed Forces, and reassigning power, backed by the threat of force."
"As days pass, it’s clearer that Trump exploited the institutional devastation engineered by chavismo, turning regime insiders into the executors of Maduro’s removal, freezing the Armed Forces, and reassigning power, backed by the threat of force."
January 7, 2026 at 5:15 PM
[🇻🇪 Naky Soto, HR defender and political analyst]
"As days pass, it’s clearer that Trump exploited the institutional devastation engineered by chavismo, turning regime insiders into the executors of Maduro’s removal, freezing the Armed Forces, and reassigning power, backed by the threat of force."
"As days pass, it’s clearer that Trump exploited the institutional devastation engineered by chavismo, turning regime insiders into the executors of Maduro’s removal, freezing the Armed Forces, and reassigning power, backed by the threat of force."
[Note] Regarding my curation: I'm not translating takes here just because I find them interesting. The people I'm quoting are journalists, HR defenders, researchers and respected analysis that have presented data, and well-defended sources, often obtained and reported at high risk. [/Note]
January 7, 2026 at 1:46 PM
[Note] Regarding my curation: I'm not translating takes here just because I find them interesting. The people I'm quoting are journalists, HR defenders, researchers and respected analysis that have presented data, and well-defended sources, often obtained and reported at high risk. [/Note]
[🇨🇴 María Emilia Gouffray - Historian and Political Scientist ]
"What has happened to women under Venezuela’s authoritarian regime is central to understanding the crisis. One of its defining features has been the deep feminization of poverty."
"What has happened to women under Venezuela’s authoritarian regime is central to understanding the crisis. One of its defining features has been the deep feminization of poverty."
January 7, 2026 at 12:56 PM
[🇨🇴 María Emilia Gouffray - Historian and Political Scientist ]
"What has happened to women under Venezuela’s authoritarian regime is central to understanding the crisis. One of its defining features has been the deep feminization of poverty."
"What has happened to women under Venezuela’s authoritarian regime is central to understanding the crisis. One of its defining features has been the deep feminization of poverty."
[ 🇻🇪 Luis Carlos Días, journalist and HRD]
"The last few days in Venezuela have been dense and tense. Under Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government, at least 14 journalists were detained, interrogated for hours, and released overnight. Street arrests continue to occur."
"The last few days in Venezuela have been dense and tense. Under Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government, at least 14 journalists were detained, interrogated for hours, and released overnight. Street arrests continue to occur."
January 7, 2026 at 12:22 PM
[ 🇻🇪 Luis Carlos Días, journalist and HRD]
"The last few days in Venezuela have been dense and tense. Under Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government, at least 14 journalists were detained, interrogated for hours, and released overnight. Street arrests continue to occur."
"The last few days in Venezuela have been dense and tense. Under Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government, at least 14 journalists were detained, interrogated for hours, and released overnight. Street arrests continue to occur."
Reposted by Laura Vidal
Protests that began in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar have spread nationwide amid currency collapse and deadly confrontations.
How and why are protests spreading in Iran?
Protests that began in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar have spread nationwide amid currency collapse and deadly confrontations.
globalvoices.org
January 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Protests that began in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar have spread nationwide amid currency collapse and deadly confrontations.
[🇻🇪 Mercedes de Freitas, director of Transparency Venezuela at the UN]
"In Venezuela, domestic and international criminal networks operate in a symbiotic relationship with the Maduro administration, using state structures to facilitate, protect, and direct illicit operations."
"In Venezuela, domestic and international criminal networks operate in a symbiotic relationship with the Maduro administration, using state structures to facilitate, protect, and direct illicit operations."
January 7, 2026 at 10:29 AM
[🇻🇪 Mercedes de Freitas, director of Transparency Venezuela at the UN]
"In Venezuela, domestic and international criminal networks operate in a symbiotic relationship with the Maduro administration, using state structures to facilitate, protect, and direct illicit operations."
"In Venezuela, domestic and international criminal networks operate in a symbiotic relationship with the Maduro administration, using state structures to facilitate, protect, and direct illicit operations."
Reposted by Laura Vidal
[🇻🇪 Luis Carlos Díaz, journalist and human rights defender. This comes from a 25 min vid, so it won't be detailed]
"Power in Venezuela was never held by Nicolás Maduro alone. It functioned as a coalition that distributed control over businesses, courts, prosecutors, and repressive institutions."
"Power in Venezuela was never held by Nicolás Maduro alone. It functioned as a coalition that distributed control over businesses, courts, prosecutors, and repressive institutions."
January 6, 2026 at 11:58 PM
[🇻🇪 Luis Carlos Díaz, journalist and human rights defender. This comes from a 25 min vid, so it won't be detailed]
"Power in Venezuela was never held by Nicolás Maduro alone. It functioned as a coalition that distributed control over businesses, courts, prosecutors, and repressive institutions."
"Power in Venezuela was never held by Nicolás Maduro alone. It functioned as a coalition that distributed control over businesses, courts, prosecutors, and repressive institutions."
[🇻🇪 Anaís Castro, journalist, based in Argentina]
“My colleagues were tortured under Nicolás Maduro’s government. (…) I went out into the streets in panic with my brother, just to make sure they wouldn’t kill him.”
“My colleagues were tortured under Nicolás Maduro’s government. (…) I went out into the streets in panic with my brother, just to make sure they wouldn’t kill him.”
January 7, 2026 at 12:19 AM
[🇻🇪 Anaís Castro, journalist, based in Argentina]
“My colleagues were tortured under Nicolás Maduro’s government. (…) I went out into the streets in panic with my brother, just to make sure they wouldn’t kill him.”
“My colleagues were tortured under Nicolás Maduro’s government. (…) I went out into the streets in panic with my brother, just to make sure they wouldn’t kill him.”
[🇻🇪 Luis Carlos Díaz, journalist and human rights defender. This comes from a 25 min vid, so it won't be detailed]
"Power in Venezuela was never held by Nicolás Maduro alone. It functioned as a coalition that distributed control over businesses, courts, prosecutors, and repressive institutions."
"Power in Venezuela was never held by Nicolás Maduro alone. It functioned as a coalition that distributed control over businesses, courts, prosecutors, and repressive institutions."
January 6, 2026 at 11:58 PM
[🇻🇪 Luis Carlos Díaz, journalist and human rights defender. This comes from a 25 min vid, so it won't be detailed]
"Power in Venezuela was never held by Nicolás Maduro alone. It functioned as a coalition that distributed control over businesses, courts, prosecutors, and repressive institutions."
"Power in Venezuela was never held by Nicolás Maduro alone. It functioned as a coalition that distributed control over businesses, courts, prosecutors, and repressive institutions."
[🇨🇴 Karol Solís Menco, PhD in Political Science]
"After decades of dictatorship and fear, no one can deny Venezuelans the right to hope. Understanding their joy at the fall of a tyrant is not incompatible with questioning what comes next." 🧵👇
"After decades of dictatorship and fear, no one can deny Venezuelans the right to hope. Understanding their joy at the fall of a tyrant is not incompatible with questioning what comes next." 🧵👇
January 6, 2026 at 11:04 PM
[🇨🇴 Karol Solís Menco, PhD in Political Science]
"After decades of dictatorship and fear, no one can deny Venezuelans the right to hope. Understanding their joy at the fall of a tyrant is not incompatible with questioning what comes next." 🧵👇
"After decades of dictatorship and fear, no one can deny Venezuelans the right to hope. Understanding their joy at the fall of a tyrant is not incompatible with questioning what comes next." 🧵👇
Since there are many interesting and useful nuances shared by human rights activists, journalists and researchers that are not covered beyond LatAm I thought of sharing some of those here (a bit summarized and contextualized if needed). I'll be putting the source at the bottom of the thread.
January 6, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Since there are many interesting and useful nuances shared by human rights activists, journalists and researchers that are not covered beyond LatAm I thought of sharing some of those here (a bit summarized and contextualized if needed). I'll be putting the source at the bottom of the thread.
I’m exhausted by seeing #Venezuelan pain instrumentalized or minimized in the name of ideological consistency. If we’re going to be outraged—and we should be—then let’s also be outraged by the disaster these people have inflicted, year after year, on millions of lives.
January 3, 2026 at 11:04 AM
I’m exhausted by seeing #Venezuelan pain instrumentalized or minimized in the name of ideological consistency. If we’re going to be outraged—and we should be—then let’s also be outraged by the disaster these people have inflicted, year after year, on millions of lives.
What is happening in #Venezuela is not a single mechanism of repression but a web of chaos and control where digital tools enable both targeted repression and mass surveillance.
Yet, women activists lead and participate in creative ways to resist
#16days
genderit.org/feminist-tal...
Yet, women activists lead and participate in creative ways to resist
#16days
genderit.org/feminist-tal...
November 25, 2025 at 6:11 PM
What is happening in #Venezuela is not a single mechanism of repression but a web of chaos and control where digital tools enable both targeted repression and mass surveillance.
Yet, women activists lead and participate in creative ways to resist
#16days
genderit.org/feminist-tal...
Yet, women activists lead and participate in creative ways to resist
#16days
genderit.org/feminist-tal...
🙌 The Curious Shapes collective will host my dear @mariannedh.bsky.social with Tawanda Mugari to talk hope, resistance and the absurdity of authoritarianism. You can expect a lot of community care and humor ♥️
📅 👩🏻💻Online - Dec 4th.
Learn more and register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-r...
📅 👩🏻💻Online - Dec 4th.
Learn more and register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-r...
Learning Resistance through Global Solidarity
A Discussion on how activists in Zimbabwe and Venezuela use humor to survive & keep fighting absurdity +the importance of digital security!
www.eventbrite.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:50 PM
🙌 The Curious Shapes collective will host my dear @mariannedh.bsky.social with Tawanda Mugari to talk hope, resistance and the absurdity of authoritarianism. You can expect a lot of community care and humor ♥️
📅 👩🏻💻Online - Dec 4th.
Learn more and register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-r...
📅 👩🏻💻Online - Dec 4th.
Learn more and register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-r...
I’ve come across another call for submissions of fiction + tech and it is once again sci-fi inclined. I’d love to see one that’s open to talk about the here and now as well as the recent past. There’s a lot of stories to tell in the world we already know.
October 29, 2025 at 9:01 AM
I’ve come across another call for submissions of fiction + tech and it is once again sci-fi inclined. I’d love to see one that’s open to talk about the here and now as well as the recent past. There’s a lot of stories to tell in the world we already know.
"Resistir y decidir" es un archivo de estrategias de protección digital dirigidas a proteger derechos sexuales y reproductivos.
Hay planes, manuales y estrategias y cubren comprensión, prevención y respuesta a eventuales ataques.
resistir.digitaldefenders.org
#Ciberseguridad #Derechos
Hay planes, manuales y estrategias y cubren comprensión, prevención y respuesta a eventuales ataques.
resistir.digitaldefenders.org
#Ciberseguridad #Derechos
resistir.digitaldefenders.org
October 16, 2025 at 8:35 AM
"Resistir y decidir" es un archivo de estrategias de protección digital dirigidas a proteger derechos sexuales y reproductivos.
Hay planes, manuales y estrategias y cubren comprensión, prevención y respuesta a eventuales ataques.
resistir.digitaldefenders.org
#Ciberseguridad #Derechos
Hay planes, manuales y estrategias y cubren comprensión, prevención y respuesta a eventuales ataques.
resistir.digitaldefenders.org
#Ciberseguridad #Derechos
"What happens when systems designed to control and monitor an entire country’s internet are offered to the highest bidder?" Comments and analysis reading between the lines of the latest IntersecLab report: interseclab.org/can-mass-sur...
Can mass surveillance be a consumer product? | InterSecLab
Surveillance company leaks expose mass surveillance, state control, and private sector involvement. What does this mean for global privacy?
interseclab.org
October 13, 2025 at 8:11 AM
"What happens when systems designed to control and monitor an entire country’s internet are offered to the highest bidder?" Comments and analysis reading between the lines of the latest IntersecLab report: interseclab.org/can-mass-sur...
With the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado, we're diving once again into endless debates about her political position - with media calling her "far-right" or "radical right."
October 10, 2025 at 7:04 PM
With the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado, we're diving once again into endless debates about her political position - with media calling her "far-right" or "radical right."