Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced a decree to suspend access to social media platform X for 10 days, citing concerns about incitement of violence following the disputed presidential election that took place on July 28. Maduro's administration, along with Venezuela's electoral authority, declared him the winner of a third term, triggering opposition claims of victory which have been supported by several Western nations.
Amid allegations of vote fraud and protests demanding his resignation, Maduro accused X owner Elon Musk of inciting violence and hate following the election. The decision to block the social network was presented by regulator Conatel and announced by Maduro in a televised speech, where he called for X to be removed from circulation in Venezuela for the specified timeframe of 10 days. The opposition, led by Edmundo Gonzalez, has contested the election results, claiming to possess evidence of their victory, though detailed vote tallies remain undisclosed by the electoral body. The protests that ensued after the election were largely organized and publicized through social media platforms.
In addition to the social media ban, Maduro urged his supporters to switch from messaging app WhatsApp to alternatives like Telegram or WeChat, alleging that WhatsApp was being used to threaten security forces' families. The president's ongoing clashes with Musk escalated with accusations of inciting civil war and death. The foreign ministers of Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil have also called for transparency in the election process, echoing demands for published vote tallies, while Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado appealed to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to encourage Maduro to negotiate with the opposition as a means of resolving the political standoff.