Venezuela President slams Facebook for blocking his page

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday used his wife's Facebook account to broadcast a government briefing, after the social network temporarily suspended access to his page for violating policies against spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Maduro was restricted from posting on his page for a month after recommending the use of an antiviral treatment against COVID-19 remedy that hasn't been scientifically proven.

"Facebook, in a totalitarian and abusive way, censored me," Maduro said in a televised coronavirus news conference, a day after his suspension.

"They think they are above the rights to freedom of expression," he added.

Maduro also said his government was "ready and prepared" to exchange oil for COVID-19 vaccines, without giving additional detail. "Venezuela has the oil tankers," he said. "It has the customers to buy oil from us and it would dedicate part of its production to guarantee all the vaccines that Venezuela needs", Maduro said. Venezuela's government has repeatedly claimed it has enough funds in foreign banks to pay for necessary vaccines through the UN-backed COVAX facility, but is unable to freely move the money because of a US blockade.