Facebook Banned Venezuelan President Over Coronavirus Misinformation

by Kay Lee

Facebook froze the account of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for spreading misinformation about COVID-19. As reported by Reuters, the politician promoted a "miracle medication" on the social media platform, which allegedly can cure coronavirus, but this statement was not supported in the medical community.

Facebook also removed a video in which Maduro advertised the thyme-derived homeopathic remedy Carvativir. In January, Maduro posted a video describing its medicinal properties. The President of Venezuela called the drug "miracle drops" of Jose Gregorio Hernandez, a Venezuelan doctor who lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. According to Maduro, the drug allegedly neutralizes the coronavirus without side effects and can be used against the coronavirus for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. Maduro called it a breakthrough in medicine.

However, doctors in the country say that there is no evidence in favor of this information, and Maduro's claims that Carvativir can treat COVID-19 are dangerous, and the effect of the drug has not been scientifically proven.

What Is Fake News and How to Spot It?
Fake news is false information in the media or, in simple terms, misinformation. The paradox of fake news lies precisely in the fact that educated people like our colleagues, friends and relatives believe in false, often absurd news.
The Internet ProtocolSamuel White

Facebook removed the video of the president for violating the company's policy against false claims "that something can guarantee prevention from getting COVID-19" or "can guarantee recovery from COVID-19."

This is not the first time Maduro has made false claims about the coronavirus on social media. In March last year, Twitter removed one of the posts of the Venezuelan president. In it, he advised a home-made drink that allegedly could "eliminate the infectious genes" of COVID-19.

As reported by Facebook, the social network follows the guidelines of the World Health Organization:

"We follow guidance from the WHO (World Health Organization) that says there is currently no medication to cure the virus," a Facebook spokesman said. "Due to repeated violations of our rules, we are also freezing the page for 30 days, during which it will be read-only."