Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Blocks Access to Social Media Platform X Following Spat with Elon Musk
In a dramatic turn of events, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has signed a decree blocking access to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, for 10 days. This decision comes after a very public feud with the platform’s owner, Elon Musk.
The tension between the two men escalated after Mr. Maduro was declared the winner of last month’s disputed presidential election. Mr. Musk has not held back in his criticism, calling the Venezuelan leader a “dictator” and a “clown”. In response, Mr. Maduro has accused Mr. Musk of inciting “hatred, fascism, [and] civil war”.
The aftermath of the election has seen anti-government protests erupt, leading to hundreds of arrests by Venezuela’s security forces. Independent observers have labeled the election as “undemocratic”, with the main opposition claiming to have evidence that their candidate, Edmundo González, actually won by a significant margin.
Mr. Maduro has blamed a “cyber coup” on the country’s electoral authority during the election, accusing Mr. Musk of orchestrating an “attack” on his re-election bid. However, the Carter Center, which observed the election, found no evidence of a cyberattack.
In a bold move, Mr. Maduro announced on state television that X would be taken out of circulation by the state telecommunications agency. He cited Mr. Musk’s alleged violations of Venezuelan laws as the reason for this action.
The international community remains divided on the election results, with some countries recognizing Mr. Maduro as the winner while others support Mr. González. The Carter Center has criticized the election for not meeting international standards of electoral integrity.
As the controversy continues to unfold, Venezuela’s Supreme Court has summoned all parties and candidates to submit their own vote tallies. Mr. Maduro has agreed to attend the hearing, but Mr. González has expressed concerns about the fairness of the process.
The clash between Mr. Maduro and Mr. Musk highlights the deep political divisions in Venezuela and raises questions about the legitimacy of the recent election. The world watches closely as this story develops.
