Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has imposed a 10-day ban on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, accusing owner Elon Musk of inciting hate and fascism. The ban comes after a disputed election where Maduro was declared the winner with 51.2% of votes, leading to accusations of fraud and widespread protests by Venezuelans demanding his resignation.
Maduro and Musk have been engaged in a war of words, with the billionaire calling the president a donkey and accusing him of electoral fraud on the social network. Maduro, in turn, has blamed Musk for inciting dissent and urged his supporters to switch from WhatsApp to other messaging apps.
The opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez, claims to have evidence showing they won the election with over 7 million votes, compared to Maduro’s 3.3 million. Several countries, including the US, Argentina, and Chile, have refused to recognize Maduro’s victory and have called for transparency in releasing the voting tallies.
The situation has escalated, with the US State Department emphasizing the importance of respecting the voices of Venezuelan voters despite attempts at repression, censorship, and disinformation. As tensions between Maduro and Musk continue to rise, the world watches to see how this conflict will unfold.
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Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
