iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Venezuela's struggle for democracy continues to this day and together we are going to forge a better path for our country. Thank you for reading this thread. If you liked it, please repost it to support my work! #FreeVenezuela #FreePoliticalPrisoners🕊

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

While R provided the data, the soul of the map came together in @inkscape.org. I projected the stripes onto the physical map of Venezuela, blending geography with history to create a piece that functions as both an infographic and a work of political art. 🎨

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Using R and the vdemdata package, I pulled the Electoral Democracy Index from @vdeminstitute.bsky.social. I mapped these values to a custom palette: 🔴 Low values (Autocracy) 🔵 High values (Democracy) The code transforms 200+ years of history into a single, scannable visual. 💻

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

This project was deeply inspired by the ground-breaking work of Prof. Ed Hawkins (@edhawkins.org) at the University of Reading. Just as his "Warming Stripes" made the climate crisis undeniable, I wanted to use that same visual power to tell the story of democratic shifts. 🌍📊

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Why today? These stripes represent more than data points; they represent generations of struggle. By looking at our past, we find the perspective needed to navigate our present. Launching this map today is my tribute to the resilience of the Venezuelan democratic spirit.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Why launch this today? January 23rd is a sacred date for Venezuelans. In 1958, a civil-military uprising ended the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez. This headline, "Derrocada la Tiranía" (Tyranny Overthrown), serves as a reminder of what is possible when a people unite.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

📢NEW MAP ALERT! 🗺️ Democracy isn't just a concept; it’s a living, breathing journey. Today, I’m proud to share "Democracy Stripes: Venezuela Edition." A visual timeline of our nation’s political history from 1789 to 2024. Time for another #1Week1Project📅💻 Let's open a 🧵👇🏽

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

I strongly recommend reading this book, it's amazing how this authoritarian alliance is crumbling before our eyes. What happened to them? Maybe by collaborating strongly made them also prone to fall after the demise of a weak link? #Democratization📈 #PoliticalScience🏛

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

If you’re a scholar, practitioner, technologist, or Venezuelan with relevant experience—and want to contribute seriously to this conversation—please fill out this short form: 👉 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Non-partisan. Independent. Security-first. Let’s think long-term.

docs.google.com

Digital Venezuela Exploratory Team

This form collects expressions of interest for an independent, non-partisan initiative exploring the possibilities, risks, and preconditions of digitalizing the Venezuelan state, drawing lessons from ...

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

We are aiming to have two meetings in the following days to kickstart this project: 📅 First working meeting 🗓 Saturday, January 3 ⏰ 9:00 am (🇻🇪 Standard Time) 📅 Dialogue with Estonia🇪🇪 🗓 Thursday, January 8 ⏰ 7:00 am (🇻🇪 Standard Time)

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

We start from a simple premise: 👉 Other countries are inspiration, not templates. Digitalization without rule of law, security, and trust can enable surveillance and exclusion. We want to design what should be built—and what should never be built.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

This initiative brings together: • Policy & political science • Constitutional & data protection law • Cybersecurity • Economics • Sociology & digital inclusion • Venezuelan practitioners & diaspora 🎯Focus: ideas, design, risks, and sequencing—not software or politics.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

What would it take to build a inclusive digital state for Venezuela? 💻 Not slogans, not apps -> Institutions🏛 We’re launching an independent, cross-disciplinary initiative to explore how Venezuela could responsibly digitalize public governance. Let's open a 🧵⬇️

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Pinch to zoom on these. 🔍🗺️ From the 100ft contour intervals of Caprock Canyons to the bathymetry of Lake Valencia, the "magic" is in the details.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

It started with a simple ArcGIS shapefile. Now I’m writing R scripts to map bathymetry and using Google Earth Engine to watch the world change in 4K. 📈🛰️ I’ve officially updated my digital garden with a dedicated Maps section, check it out! 🗺▶https://pablohernandezb.dev/maps

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

💡 Have any other ideas or projects where you need to display data on a map? 📢 Do not hesitate to reach out, let's collaborate! 🧠 Let's keep learning and having fun with data, see you on a next #1Week1Project📅💻

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

I am also looking forward to read Dr. Milos Popovic's e-book "Mapping Worlds with R: Your Journey from Beginner to Data Cartographer". I believe it will be very useful for my research and communicate findings. 📘 payhip.com/b/MH9Ot You can get it here 👇

payhip.com

Mapping Worlds with R: Your Journey from Beginner to Data Cartographer

Whether you’re a total newcomer to coding or an experienced analyst who’s never made a map, Mapping the World with R turns “I-wish-I-could-do-that” into “I-just-did-that.” In crisp and straightforward...

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

I'm proud to share my Venezuelan culture. If you love maps, geography, or water science, please RT and let me know your favorite part of this map! You can find the R code and other stuff for crafting this map on my GitHub repository: 📦 github.com/pablohernand...

github.com

GitHub - pablohernandezb/3D-painting-geo: Tutorial to create hydrologic maps in R

Tutorial to create hydrologic maps in R. Contribute to pablohernandezb/3D-painting-geo development by creating an account on GitHub.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

I followed @milos-makes-maps.bsky.social 's tutorial on YouTube to craft this gorgeous map, a million thanks for sharing your knowledge! The steps for creating the Switzerland map in the tutorial worked perfectly for Venezuela. 🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=pisw...

youtube.com

Why 3D Elevation Maps Are a Game Changer for Geography

YouTube video by Milos Makes Maps

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Building the Venezuela hydrologic map was an R & RStudio masterpiece! 💻✨ I used the terra, elevatr, sf, geodata, rayshader, packages to process the river data, create the elevation model, and render the final 3D view. What's your favorite R package for maps? 👇 #GIS🛰🗺

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

This map relies on a Coordinate Reference System (CRS) to be accurate! 📐🌐 If you're ever drowning in map projections , epsg.io is your lifesaver. It’s the essential, open-source database to look up any EPSG code. #GIS #Mapping #GeoSpatial #EPSG #DataScience

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

The detail comes from HydroSHEDS data, mapped onto a 3D elevation model. This blend of science and art shows how elevation dictates every path water takes. The Andes mountains⛰🏔 are clearly the source! #Mapping #GIS #SciArt

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

📢 New Map Alert! Just finished this detailed 3D hydrologic map of Venezuela🇻🇪. See the country's rivers like never before! It's time for another #1Week1Project📅💻, find out how you can make your own gorgeous map too! Let's open a 🧵👇🏽 #HydrologicMap💧🗺 #DataArt🎨📊

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Reflecting on the last year, I realized I haven't been to a restaurant in the last 7 months; that's right, I have eaten homemade food only. Last time I went to the movies was 11 months ago. My life turned upside down and I wonder if all this sacrifice is worth it. #MyJourney

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

Hoje tem 300 dias praticando Português🇧🇷 no Duolingo. Voçe quer falar comigo? #WorldLanguages🌎💬

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

I have a Google Keep note where I write down all my research ideas and it keeps growing and growing, I wonder if I ever going to even complete at least half of them. #Research🥼 #PoliticalScience🏛

media.tenor.com

a person is standing in a dark room with a blue light coming out of a circular object .

ALT: a person is standing in a dark room with a blue light coming out of a circular object .

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

💡 Which questions could be answered with this dataset? 📢 Do not hesitate to reach out, let's collaborate on a research project! 🗺️ Next week I think I'll explore some geographic data, there are interesting collections out there at the sub-national level #1Week1Project📅💻

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Before I leave, I want to thank Jesús Ojeda for his help at the beginning of this project, with his guidance I manage to understand how to scrape the data. It's good to have an amazing community of people to turn to for this kind of thing.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

3️⃣json_to_csv.py: convert .json files to .csv to prepare them for data analysis on R 4️⃣generate_csv_by_election.py: produce .csv by election type 5️⃣collapse_data.py: collapse data by candidates 6️⃣append_csv.py: combine all .csv files obtained from the scraping process

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Roughly speaking, these are the steps (and the scripts) I followed to obtain this dataset: 1️⃣circumscriptions_by_state.py: obtain the national and sub-national districts 2️⃣statescrape_election_type_X.py: scrape the data from the CNE

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

The two datasets include: (i) National Assembly, and regional with 6667 candidates (3066 females and 3601 males); and (ii) municipal with 15789 candidates, which include 7199 females and 8590 males. And there are 11 types of elections in this cycle.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

I used Python with the AIOHTTP and AsyncIO libraries to communicate with the web server and iterate through all states, municipalities and districts to create JSON files for each type of election at the candidate-level. #WebScraping #DataCollection

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Thank to Giuseppe Gangi and his video, I got the idea to collect this data using web scraping techniques. And I asked a colleague who helped me kickstart this project that could spark potential research of women ballot placement on authoritarian settings. 🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jfP...

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Again, they didn't bring back up their official webpage and instead they used doe.postulaciones.org.ve/eanr2025 and doe.postulaciones.org.ve/em2025 to publish the list of candidates, of course these sites were temporal so I had to act quickly to collect the data.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

The CNE, lacking transparency and autonomy, programmed this year the regional and parliamentary elections for May 25th and later the municipal elections for July 27th. The time for the campaign was cut short and it was just a few weeks in order to favor the regime.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Now, the CNE webpage only exists in the archives of the Wayback Machine, thanks to the @archive.org project. Unfortunately, not all data is there but at least this shows the time when they were supposedly attacked and never came back.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Timing was essential for data gathering, because the National Committee Council (CNE in Spanish, the electoral management body in Venezuela) reported they were under a cyberattack during last year's election, and their webpage hasn't been up since then 🔗 latinamericareports.com/venezuelas-e...

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

t's time for another #1Week1Project📅💻, this time I'll discuss the process of creating a dataset of electoral data using web scraping techniques. This is part of the Gender Parity Analysis in Authoritarian Elections project that takes the country-case of Venezuela.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🔎 I am seeking opportunities as a Postdoctoral Researcher, or Assistant Professor in Political Science. If you know of opportunities, please reach out or share this thread! 📧 pablo.hernandez.borges@gmail.com 🌐 pablohernandezb.dev 👔 www.linkedin.com/in/pablohern...

pablohernandezb.dev

Pablo Hernandez Borges

Pablo Hernandez Borges's personal website. Data Scientist | AI & ML Modeler.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

👨‍🏫 Teaching is central to my career. I have taught: - Comparative Politics - Political Analysis (with R and Stata workshops) - Latin American Politics - Political Science & Video Games Both in-person and online, across the U.S. and Venezuela.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

📝 Recent work includes: - A chapter in Routledge’s Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Maduro (2025). - Projects on authoritarian electoral engineering using a dataset of 142 million observations. - The Republic of Sartenejas, a political simulation project

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

📊 My research explores comparative politics, authoritarianism, and democratic backsliding, with a strong focus on Latin America. I combine computational methods (NLP, LLMs, network analysis) and traditional approaches to study elections, discourse, and representation.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

🚨 Job Market Announcement 🚨 I’m excited to share that I am officially on the academic job market (2025–2026)! 🎓 I recently earned my PhD in Political Science (Texas Tech University) and am currently teaching as Professor Ad Honorem at Universidad Simón Bolívar (VE). 🧵 A bit about my work ⬇️

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

💡 Have any other ideas or projects where you need coding or improvement? 📢 Do not hesitate to reach out, let's collaborate! 📷 Thanks to the British Library and Nick Monica for their pictures, published on @unsplash.com, which I used to make this thread. #1Week1Project📅💻

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

This project is part of a cross-disciplinary collaboration with the Anthropologist @FidelRodV who is interested in characterizing the slave trade voyages and the differences across Southern Caribbean ports.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Before I leave, on the @slavevoyages website there is also a People Database that includes registry of over 90,000 enslaved and over 30,000 enslavers. This big dataset can also be used to kickstart research on these topics.

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Pablo Hernández Borges @pablohernandezb.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Finally, I leave this short descriptive analysis if the data with this plot comparing the flag of the vessel between Intra-American and Trans-Atlantic voyages. Again, there are stark differences, Intra-American are dominated by the British while the Trans-Atlantic by the Dutchs.

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