In response to a disputed election, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has imposed a 10-day ban on the social media platform X.
On Thursday, Maduro signed a resolution filed by telecoms regulator Conatel, saying that the company “has decided to take social network X, formerly known as Twitter, out of circulation for 10 days.” Maduro accused X owner Elon Musk of “inciting hate and fasicism.”
After a pro-government march, Maduro declared, “Elon Musk is the owner of X and has violated all the rules of the social network itself.”
He said, “X, leave Venezuela for ten days!” in a speech that was aired on national television.
Although they have not yet released comprehensive results, election authorities proclaimed Maduro the victor of the July 28 election with 51.2 percent of the vote. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate who had been leading in polls, was reported to have received 44.2 percent of the vote.
Social media users began to circulate extensive allegations of fraud following the news. Opposition to Maduro and respect for Gonzalez’s victory erupted among Venezuelans both domestically and internationally.
Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico’s foreign ministers urged the National Electoral Council (CNE) to release the vote tallies in a joint statement on Thursday.
The opposition declared victory with overwhelming margins and issued a warning on Thursday that if Maduro is permitted to hold onto power, there may be a large-scale exodus.
