Venezuelan President blocks the social media platform X in the country for 10 days

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced his intention to block the use of the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) in the country for a period of 10 days, reports CNN. This decision comes following a public dispute between Maduro and the platform's owner, Elon Musk, regarding the contested election that Maduro claims to have won.

In a statement made on Thursday, Maduro revealed that he had signed a proposal with the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) to remove X from circulation within Venezuela. He accused Musk of violating the platform's rules by inciting "hatred, fascism, and civil war."

The ongoing disagreement between Maduro and Musk centers around the Venezuelan election, which Maduro insists he won, but which the United States and other Western nations argue otherwise. Musk, addressing the situation on X, referred to Maduro as "not a good guy" and accused him of engaging in "major election fraud." In response, Maduro accused Musk of conspiring against his country.

Maduro's move to restrict social media platforms does not stop at X. He recently also expressed his anger towards WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta. Maduro vowed to remove the app from his own phone and encouraged his supporters to do the same.

The United States firmly stated last week that Maduro had lost the popular vote in Venezuela's election. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that based on overwhelming evidence, it was clear to the US and the Venezuelan people that opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia had garnered the most votes.

However, Maduro's government dismissed the statement as "ridiculous" and accused the US of attempting to orchestrate a coup. Following the announcement of Maduro's victory with 51% of the votes, protests erupted throughout Venezuela. The election proved to be a critical moment for the country's fragile democracy and its prospects of economic recovery. Many young opposition supporters threatened to leave the nation in the event of Maduro's re-election, citing the devastating economic collapse and ongoing repression under his leadership.

An energized opposition coalition rallied around presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez before the election, presenting a strong challenge to the ruling establishment. It was regarded as the most formidable opposition movement in the past 25 years, contributing to the high stakes of the election.

While Maduro's decision to ban X for 10 days raises concerns surrounding freedom of expression, the situation remains tense with allegations of election fraud and a deeply divided nation.

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