Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has imposed a 10-day ban on Elon Musk’s X in Venezuela. The decision comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding the recent presidential election.
Maduro announced the ban during a televised speech, accusing X’s owner Elon Musk of inciting hate, civil war, and death. This move follows a series of public confrontations between Maduro and Musk, including challenges to physical fights.
Read: Maduro Challenges Musk to Fight After Election Fraud Allegations
The ban on X is part of a broader crackdown on social media platforms in Venezuela. Earlier this week, Maduro urged supporters to abandon WhatsApp in favor of alternatives like Telegram or WeChat, claiming WhatsApp was being used to threaten families of security forces.
The recent presidential election, held on July 28, has sparked widespread accusations of fraud and protests across the country. While Venezuela’s electoral authority declared Maduro the winner with 51% of the vote, opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez claim to have evidence showing their victory with over 7 million votes compared to Maduro’s 3.3 million.
International reaction to the election results has been divided. The United States, Argentina, and Chile have refused to recognize Maduro’s claimed victory, calling for transparency and the publication of voting tallies. China and Russia have congratulated Maduro.
Protests following the election have turned violent, with a local advocacy group reporting at least 23 deaths. Venezuelan authorities claim to have arrested over 2,000 individuals in response to what they describe as violent criminal activity. However, human rights groups argue that peaceful demonstrators are being targeted in a campaign of repression.
The foreign ministers of Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil have called for the publication of vote tallies, while opposition leader Machado has appealed to Mexico’s president to encourage negotiations between Maduro and the opposition.
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