Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro, has ordered a 10-day ban on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, amid ongoing unrest in the country over a disputed election. Maduro accuses X’s owner, Elon Musk, of “inciting hatred and fascism” in connection with the growing political turmoil.
In a televised speech on government channels, Maduro announced on Thursday that he had signed a resolution from the telecommunications regulatory authority, Conatel, which decided to “suspend social network X for 10 days.” “X must leave Venezuela for 10 days!” he declared to his supporters, who were protesting in favor of the government.
Election authorities declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election with 51.2% of the votes; however, they have yet to release detailed results. The opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who was reportedly leading in polls, received 44.2% of the votes. The outcome has led to widespread allegations of electoral fraud, which have been amplified on social media, triggering protests from Venezuelans both domestically and abroad, who are demanding Maduro’s resignation in favor of Gonzalez.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico called on Thursday for the National Electoral Council (CNE) to publish the voter counts. The opposition claims to have won by a significant margin and has warned of a potential mass exodus if Maduro is allowed to remain in power.
The relationship between Maduro and Musk has been contentious, with both parties frequently trading accusations. Musk has previously labeled the president as a “fool,” while Maduro has accused Musk of being a driving force behind recent protests. Musk has also alleged that Maduro committed “widespread electoral fraud” on X.
Furthermore, Maduro has urged his supporters to abandon WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, in favor of Telegram or WeChat, claiming that the messaging app is being used to threaten the families of soldiers and police officers.
The opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado and Gonzalez, claims to have documented vote counts that show they won the election with over 7 million votes, compared to Maduro’s 3.3 million. Countries including the United States, Argentina, and Chile have refused to recognize Maduro’s alleged victory, instead calling for transparency and the release of vote counts, while China and Russia have congratulated Maduro on his win.
“Venezuelan voters’ voices will not be silenced by repression, censorship, or disinformation. The world is watching,” stated Brian A. Nichols, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, in a post on X.