During his TV show, transmitted across all official radio stations as well, Maduro claimed “virtual realities” create violent people. He condemned the thousands of people playing Pokemon Go.

“We have to worry about what our kids consume in serials and games,” he said. “They create virtual realities. This debate has to be opened to the world and to our society. The creation of a culture that generates virtual realities, all linked to guns, violence and death. Or to virtual realities like the new game Pokemon Go.”

“… What else can you wait of a human being that bonds exclusively with the death culture created by capitalism? Violence” he said.

He said this points to a individualization of the human being, who spends too much time with technology. “And they’re connected with virtual realities that take them to a culture of weapons and what’s wrong,” he added.

Pokemon GO is a successful smartphone game. It’s a joint project by the American company Niantic. It was created by the same man behind Google Earth, the Japanese company Nintendo and The Pokemon Company. It was launched last Friday in Japan.

The application uses GPS location and the camera to allow users to look for Pokemon in real world locations.

It uses augmented reality, and according to the original concept, trainers could capture Pokemon until they complete a collection. Another objective is to train them to win battles with others. Using the GPS on the telephone, the app lets you know with a vibration and a blinking light when the user is near a Pokemon.

Sources: Últimas Noticias; El Nacional