US-Backed Venezuelan Government Set to Expand Chinese AI Surveillance Tech

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has raised concerns that Venezuela is preparing to adopt advanced Chinese AI systems to strengthen a surveillance apparatus already built largely on Chinese technology. According to ASPI's report, an agreement led by Delcy Rodríguez in 2025 aims to integrate Chinese AI, including tools from iFlytek, a company the US banned in 2019 over its role in surveillance of Uyghur Muslims in China.

The situation has become more complicated since the US effectively took control of Venezuela in January 2026 and installed Rodríguez as leader. ASPI found no evidence that her government has reversed course on adopting Chinese AI surveillance tools, warning that Venezuela could become one of the first countries outside China to deploy a new generation of large language model based surveillance systems.

While ASPI's analysts do not believe Venezuela can fully replicate China's surveillance model, they caution that these AI tools could reinforce an existing system used to monitor dissent and control information. This leaves the US in the unusual position of overseeing a government that continues to rely on banned Chinese technology to maintain control.