Hashtag battle ensues during Venezuelan president’s address

As Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addressed the nation Wednesday night, Venezuelans on Twitter battled over their support for the president’s policies.  

In his annual address, Maduro spoke on a wide range of issues, including how to tackle the country’s current economic crisis. He blamed the opposition for what he called an “economic war” in the country. According to the president, Venezuela’s economy shrunk 2.8 per cent in 2014.

Maduro also announced a number of responsive measures including a 15 per cent increase in the minimum wage. He said government programmes will continue despite a sharp decrease in the price of oil, Venezeula’s main export. 

During the address, #QueRenuncieEnLaAN (“Resign in the National Assembly”) quickly became a trending hashtag and received more than 130,000 mentions. Many used #QueRenuncieEnLaAN to voice their frustrations with the president: