Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks to the media during the signing ceremony of the agreement recognizing the results of the July 28 presidential election, at the National Electoral Council, in Caracas, Venezuela, June 20, 2024.
Miraflores Palace | via Reuters
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered a 10-day block on social media platform X, cutting off locals' access to the platform after a dispute with Elon Musk.
In a translated speech to CNBC on Thursday, Maduro said he had signed a decree ordering Venezuela’s telecommunications regulator to block X, as company owner Elon Musk had “violated all the rules of the social network Twitter, known today as X — all of them. And he violated (the rules), by inciting hatred, fascism, civil war, death and confrontations between Venezuelans, (he) violated all the laws of Venezuela. And in Venezuela there are laws … and we will enforce the laws.”
Maduro added that Venezuela's National Telecommunications Commission, or CONATEL, “will withdraw the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, from circulation in Venezuela for 10 days,” allowing X to respond.
Internet monitoring firm NetBlocks confirmed that the X app is now blocked in Venezuela following Maduro's order.
According to a post from NetBlocks on X, several ISPs in the country were seen cutting off access to the site, with some showing zero access while others showed restricted access.
Musk has been waging a war of words with Maduro, who claims he secured a third six-year term in power in a disputed election result.
“Shame on dictator Maduro,” Musk wrote in a post on Twitter, accusing the longtime Venezuelan leader of “massive electoral fraud.”
Maduro responded by challenging the tech billionaire to fight him, telling national television: “Elon Musk, I'm ready. I'm not afraid of you… Let's fight, wherever you want.”
In response to a post on X containing screenshots of Maduro's comments, Musk said: “I accept.”
Protests erupted in Venezuela on July 28 following the 2024 presidential election, which was marred by accusations of electoral misconduct and fraud.
Maduro's government has cracked down on the protests, deploying riot police to quell the unrest.
Both Maduro and his opponent, Edmundo González Urrutia, claimed victory in the election, with the National Electoral Commission announcing that Maduro had won 51% of the vote.
But Washington and other foreign governments have expressed skepticism about the official results. The United States, which reimposed sanctions on Venezuela in April to pressure the Maduro administration over election concerns, has recognized Gonzalez as the winner of the disputed July election.
