Telegram became reachable again across Venezuela after internet providers gradually removed a block imposed days earlier, according to reporting based on measurements from the digital-rights group VE sin Filtro. The restoration did not end a broader set of restrictions affecting social media, privacy tools and online services.
Access to Telegram and its official website was disrupted across the country’s principal internet service providers beginning Friday, January 10, 2025. Early restoration was measured on CANTV, Inter and Airtek between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Digitel, G-Network and Movistar also began restoring the service in that period. Remaining providers followed more slowly, with the block reported as lifted by Monday, January 13. The sequence showed that restoration was staggered rather than simultaneous across the national provider market. Users could then reach Telegram without relying on a virtual private network.
VE sin Filtro said an earlier Telegram restriction lasted a day and occurred on September 2, 2024 amid controls that followed the disputed presidential election. The January interruption coincided with Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration for a third term, which opposition groups contested.
Other barriers remained in place after Telegram returned. TikTok had entered a seventh day of blockage. The restriction began January 8 after the platform did not appoint a local representative, and was connected to a $10 million fine and an order from Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice to establish a national office.
Authorities also restricted access to more than 20 VPN-provider websites. The affected names included NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and IPVanish, while Proton VPN had already been blocked before the July 2024 election. Providers contacted by TechRadar said their applications still worked in Venezuela despite inaccessible websites.
The reported measures extended beyond those services. Signal, Tor Browser, Canva and more than 30 domain-name-system services were also described as blocked. By limiting VPN websites and related tools, the restrictions complicated efforts by users to bypass disruptions, though they did not make every VPN application unusable.
The political backdrop remained contested. Maduro began another six-year term after claiming victory in the July 2024 vote. Opposition forces challenged the result, and the United States, European Union and United Kingdom imposed new sanctions on Venezuelan officials. The previous election period had also brought website blocks and higher VPN use while protests spread.
Telegram’s restoration was therefore a narrow reversal within a more restrictive environment. The evidence showed that connectivity varied by provider and service, rather than reflecting a complete nationwide internet shutdown. It did not supply a government explanation for ending the Telegram block or indicate when the remaining restrictions would be removed.
