Facebook froze the page of Venezuelan dictator Nicolá s Maduro on Saturday (26) for violating policies against the dissemination of false information on Covid-19, promoting a drug that it believes can cure disease.
In January, Maduro described Carvativir, a thyme-derived oral solution, as a “wonder” drug that neutralizes the coronavirus without side effects, a claim that doctors say is not supported by science.
Facebook deleted a video in which Maduro promotes the drug because it violates a policy against false claims that something can guarantee prevention against Covid-19 or can guarantee recovery from Covid-19, according to the company.
“We are following the guidelines of the WHO (World Health Organization), which says there is currently no medicine to cure the virus,” a company spokesperson told Reuters news agency. .
Due to repeated violations of Facebook’s rules, Maduro’s page has been frozen for 30 days, during which time it will be read-only.
Maduro, in the video, says that Carvativir, which he calls the “miracle drops” of 19th-century Venezuelan doctor José Gregorio Hernandez, beatified by the Roman Catholic Church, can be used preventively and therapeutically against the coronavirus.
The administrators of the page have been made aware of the policy violation, a Facebook spokesperson said.
Maduro’s Instagram account, which is owned by Facebook, will not be affected.
Venezuela’s information ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Maduro said in February that Facebook had censored videos showing Carvativir. In the past, he has claimed that he and his allies have been treated unfairly by social media companies.
Maduro often uses social media, including Facebook and Twitter, and occasionally broadcasts speeches on Facebook Live.
Official figures from Venezuela on Friday showed 154,905 coronavirus cases and 1,543 deaths, although opposition critics say the actual number is likely higher due to limited testing.
In January of this year, on the eve of the end of Donald Trump’s tenure as President of the United States, Facebook banned his account on the social network and also on Instagram.
The decision came after the Capitol invasion earlier this month, during the joint session between MPs and Senators to certify Biden’s victory. Inspired by Trump, who organized a rally in Washington hours before the attack, vandals entered the building that houses the US Congress.
At least four people died during the episode, including an Air Force veteran supporting Trump, shot dead by a Capitol Police officer.