President Nicolas Maduro has suspended access to the social media platform X for 10 days in the country.
Maduro, on Thursday, August 8, 2024, announced his government was blocking X formerly known as Twitter, for 10 days and accused the site’s owner, Elon Musk, of “inciting hate and fascism” in Venezuela.
“X get out of Venezuela for 10 days!” he said in a speech which was broadcast on state television.
Maduro and Musk have frequently traded barbs over X, with the platform’s owner comparing the Venezuelan president to a donkey, while Maduro has blamed Musk for being a driving force behind protests and dissent following the election.
They have also offered and accepted challenges to fight each other in comments on X and via Venezuelan state television.
Election authorities declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 vote but have yet to release detailed results, leading left-wing allies Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico on Thursday to reiterate a joint call on the National Electoral Council (CNE) to disclose polling records.
On Monday, Maduro called on supporters to stop using messaging service WhatsApp, saying it was being used for “technological imperialism”.
On Sunday, he also called for recommendations from experts on the regulation of other platforms, including Instagram and TikTok.
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Maduro said the platforms were being used to stir up hatred during the recent protests against his government.
Large numbers of Venezuelans have demonstrated in recent days against what they believe to be a rigged presidential election.
It said the state authorities have cracked down harshly, with human rights organisations Provea and Human Rights Watch reporting that 24 people have died and hundreds have been detained.
The opposition is accusing the government of electoral fraud and is claiming victory for its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez.
The U.S. and half a dozen Latin American countries have recognised Gonzalez as the winner.
The European Union said it would not recognise the result of the presidential election in Venezuela without the full disclosure of the official voting record.
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