In Venezuela, the government has enforced a 10-day suspension of the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. This action follows a contentious exchange between the platform’s owner, Elon Musk, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
According to Maduro, the ban, which was directed by the Venezuelan telecommunications regulator Conatel, is a response to Musk’s behavior on the platform, which he claims included inciting “hatred, fascism, civil war, death and confrontations among Venezuelans,” thus violating Venezuelan law.
This drastic move came shortly after Musk publicly criticized Maduro, labeling him a “Dictator” and accusing him of “major election fraud” about the recent presidential election, which remains disputed. Maduro, in a televised statement, issued a combative challenge to Musk, proposing a physical confrontation: “Elon Musk, I’m ready. I’m not afraid of you … Let’s fight, wherever you want.” Musk responded affirmatively to this challenge in a post on X.
The restriction on X was confirmed by the internet monitoring organization NetBlocks, which reported that several Venezuelan ISPs began to limit access to the site, with some showing no reachability at all. This ban comes at a time of significant political tension in Venezuela, where protests have surged following the controversial presidential election on July 28, 2024. Both Maduro and his rival, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, have declared victory. However, international observers, including the US, have expressed skepticism towards the official results, recognizing Gonzalez as the legitimate winner.
