How Zello Became a Lifeline for Venezuelans Under Maduro

They are Venezuelans, and members of the Venezuelan diaspora, who for years have been engulfed by political and economic crisis under the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro. Thousands of them come together in Venezuela Hasta Los Tuétanos (Venezuela to the Marrow, or to the Bone), a channel Maria runs on the popular voice chat app Zello. As Venezuela descends further into political turmoil, Maria’s channel has become an essential lifeline to people in the country where she was born and raised, and where she still has family. To protect her identity, WIRED is using only her first name. More…