Maduro orders 10-day shutdown of X platform
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered a 10-day ban on access to the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk.
Speaking to his supporters at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Maduro accused X of spreading hate and violence in Venezuela.
Maduro stated that he had spoken with the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) and issued the necessary orders to suspend X from circulation in the country for 10 days.
Criticizing U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, Maduro said, "X, owned by Elon Musk, has violated all laws. Stop spreading fascism, civil war, death, and hate in this country. X has violated all the laws of Venezuela. There are laws in Venezuela, and we will respect them. Get out of Venezuela for 10 days, X. Get out, Elon Musk. Venezuela has a constitution, it has a state, and you must respect them."
Maduro also called on his supporters to stand by him regarding this decision, expressing his belief that "new social media platforms will emerge one day in Venezuela besides WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok."
Previously, Maduro had deleted WhatsApp live on air, citing the spread of hate and violence through the application by certain groups.
Nicolas Maduro won the presidential election in Venezuela for the third time on July 28.
Following the election, Elon Musk accused Maduro of electoral fraud, to which Maduro responded, "Do you want a fight, Elon Musk? I'm ready. I am the son of Bolívar, the son of Chávez, and I'm not afraid of you."
Maduro has declared Musk the "arch-enemy" of Venezuela, accusing him of inciting violence in the country.
In response, Musk stated that if he won the duel, he would ask Maduro to resign from his dictatorship and would send him to Mars for free with his company SpaceX.
Additionally, after winning the election, Maduro claimed in a speech from the balcony of the Miraflores Palace that he was certain Musk was behind a hacker attack on the National Electoral Council.
