1/ “There’s fear of not being accepted, of being unfriended online, of no longer being invited to things. There’s fear of being seen as someone who supports socialism.”
My @MiamiHerald story on the challenges of being both pro-Biden *and* Venezuelan: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article246056005.html
My @MiamiHerald story on the challenges of being both pro-Biden *and* Venezuelan: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article246056005.html
2/ In Florida, relentless fear-mongering around socialism & widespread Spanish-language misinformation campaigns have combined to make Venezuelan Democrats frequent targets of harassment.
“You say you are pro-Biden and automatically you get branded a traitor to our country”
“You say you are pro-Biden and automatically you get branded a traitor to our country”
3/ The Vivas family knows this dynamic all too well. In June they posted this selfie. The ensuing backlash (on Twitter, IG & TikTok) was extreme.
“We are talking about thousands & thousands of tweets, including death threats and accusations that my family and I are pedophiles”
“We are talking about thousands & thousands of tweets, including death threats and accusations that my family and I are pedophiles”
4/ The situation could lead to there being *higher levels* of Venezuelan support for Biden come Election Day than is currently being registered by pollsters. Many people told me they have friends who will vote for Biden, but no one will ever find out.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article246056005.html

5/ ALSO: Lots of good insights on here from @samuelvilchezs about why conspiracy theories are running so rampant in his community:
“If you think about what the information ecosystem is like in Venezuela, the situation we’re in at the moment here in the U.S. makes sense”
“If you think about what the information ecosystem is like in Venezuela, the situation we’re in at the moment here in the U.S. makes sense”