President Maduro bans X for 10 days, says Musk 'incited civil war'
2 Min Read
The Venezuelan President says that American billionaire and X owner Elon Musk "incited confrontations" among the country's citizens.
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addresses supporters gathered outside the Miraflores presidential palace after electoral authorities declared him the winner of the presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, July 29, 2024 (AFP)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed a decree on Friday, banning Elon Musk's X (Twitter) social media platform in the country for 10 days, citing Musk's hostile interference in the country's affairs, most notably during the recently held presidential elections.
"By inciting hatred, fascism, civil war, death and confrontation among Venezuelans, Elon Musk has violated all Venezuelan laws... X is OUT of Venezuela for 10 days so they can make their case."
The National Electoral Council pronounced Maduro the victor of the presidential election on July 28. Maduro's victory sparked nationwide Western-backed riots and violence, driven by opposition claims of electoral fraud and widespread skepticism over the results, in a "Guaido 2.0" scenario.
Read more: Maduro invited to BRICS summit in Russia by Putin
Before the vote count and audit were released, the US and other affiliated countries and prominent figures, including American billionaire Musk, rushed to defy Maduro, incited Venezuelan opposition to strongly reject the results, and urged the world to accept Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner instead.
The re-elected president accused the United States, the "international fascist right" with Elon Musk, and the global extreme capitalist forces of leading a coup, with Washington being at the forefront of the attempted coup.
On Monday, he accused TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp of "cyber fascism" and hate-mongering against the country in the aftermath of the election. He also accused the platforms of "spreading hatred aimed at dividing the Venezuelan people, inciting massacre and division in Venezuela and spreading fascism in Venezuela," describing the attempt as a "criminal coup d'etat."
Maduro told Al Mayadeen on August 3 that the far-right in Venezuela is supported and funded by "global Zionism," adding that the "Zionist influence in the media and social media" is behind the attempted coup in Venezuela.
Addressing businesspeople in Venezuela, he asserted that his government guarantees stability, adding that "if the fascist right comes to power, all business opportunities will end."
"They will give oil and gas to the same people as always and suppress the entire economy," he added.
