Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has issued a decree blocking access to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, for 10 days after a public feud with its owner, Elon Musk. The conflict between the two began following Maduro’s controversial victory in last month’s presidential election.
Musk has criticized Maduro, calling him a “dictator” and a “clown,” while Maduro has accused Musk of promoting “hatred, fascism, [and] civil war.” In recent weeks, protests against the election results have intensified, leading to numerous arrests by Venezuelan security forces.
The election, held on July 28, has been deemed “undemocratic” by independent observers, and the main opposition claims that their candidate, Edmundo González, won by a significant margin. Maduro, on the other hand, has alleged that the National Electoral Council (CNE) was subject to a “cyber coup” and has blamed Musk for staging an “attack” on his re-election effort. The Carter Center, which monitored the election at the Venezuelan government’s request, reported no evidence of a cyberattack.
In a televised speech on Thursday night, Maduro announced that X would be “withdrawn from circulation” by the telecommunications agency, accusing Musk of violating Venezuelan laws by inciting violence and division. Musk had previously expressed support for the opposition and criticized the election results, alleging “major election fraud by Maduro” and referring to him derogatorily.
While the CNE has declared Maduro the winner, official vote counts have not yet been released. Calls for transparency have been supported by Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, while the U.S., Argentina, Uruguay, and Ecuador recognize González as the legitimate winner. The Carter Center has stated that the election did not meet international standards and cannot be considered democratic.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has requested that all parties and candidates submit their own vote counts by Friday. Maduro has indicated he will comply, but González has expressed concerns that attending the hearing would expose him to potential threats and undermine the will of the Venezuelan people.
