Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Blocks X Website for 10 Days to Quell Unrest

Venezuela’s president has blocked Elon Musk’s X platform for 10 days in an attempt to quell widespread unrest over the country’s disputed election results, media reports say.

“X out for 10 days! Elon Musk out!” President Nicolas Maduro said during a speech.

Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, ordered the site blocked nationwide on Thursday, and also accused Musk of using the social network to encourage hatred after the recent presidential election, according to media reports.

Protesters across Venezuela have taken to the streets to protest Maduro’s claims of victory.

Musk accused the authoritarian leader of “massive electoral fraud” over X By Saturday afternoon on July 29, the post had been liked by 552,000 people and retweeted by 107,000. Musk also criticized Maduro on Twitter. Xsaying he was “not a good man”.

Both Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia have claimed victory in the July 28 election. Maduro has claimed victory and electoral authorities have endorsed him, but have yet to provide any receipts. González Urrutia’s camp has released vote tallies from polling stations.

The United States joined Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru on August 3 in rejecting the official election results, recognizing González Urrutia as the winner.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that “given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States, and more importantly to the Venezuelan people, that Edmundo González Urrutia won the largest number of votes in Venezuela’s presidential election held on July 28.”