Digital rebels hacked into dozens of Venezuelan government websites to oppose the regime of President Nicolás Maduro, multiple news outlets have reported.
According to multiple accounts, a group calling itself "The Binary Guardians" defaced approximately 40 state-run websites, including ones representing the federal Venezuelan government, its National Electoral Council (NEC) and the South American country's navy.
The messaging on the defaced sites expressed support for Operation David, an armed assault that attackers carried out against a military base in Valencia, Venezuela on Sunday.
The attack came after weeks of political turmoil and deadly protests by citizens seeking to oust Maduro after he created a new legislative body that further strengthens his governmental control. Two attackers were reportedly killed in the operation, and several more were captured.
The defacement message posted on the main governmental website warned that "This dictatorship has its days numbered," the BBC reported, while the defacement of the NEC website included a video clip from the Charlie Chapin film, "The Great Dictator," Reuters noted in its report.
In late July, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Maduro, calling him a dictator.
The Reuters report also included an account from a representative of the Binary Guardians, who said he did not take part in Operation David, but supports it as a Venezuelan national.
