Venezuela’s president banned Elon Musk’s X platform for 10 days, in an effort to quell widespread unrest over the country’s disputed election results, according to media reports.
“X out for 10 days! Elon Musk out!” President Nicolás Maduro purportedly said during a speech.
Maduro — who has been in power since 2013 — ordered the countrywide block on Thursday, and also accused Musk of using the social network to encourage hatred after the latest presidential election, media reports indicate.
Protestors across Venezuela have taken to the streets to contest Maduro’s claims of victory.
Musk accused the authoritarian leader of “major election fraud,” on X on July 29. By Saturday afternoon the post was liked by 552,000 people and reposted by 107,000 people. Musk also dissed Maduro on X, saying he “is not a good guy.”
Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia both claimed victory following the July 28 election. Maduro declared himself the winner and electoral authorities backed him, but have yet to show receipts. González Urrutia’s camp, on the other hand, has published tally sheets from polling stations.
The US joined Uruguay, Argentina and Peru on Aug. 3 in rejecting the official election results, recognizing González Urrutia as the winner.
“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted.
