Elon Musk’s Platform X Gets 10-Day Suspension in Venezuela
Elon Musk. Photo: X/ @MarioNawfal
August 9, 2024 Hour: 1:35 pm
‘Enough of spreading violence and hatred and trying to attack Venezuela from abroad!’ President Maduro stressed.
On Thursday, President Nicolas Maduro ordered the suspension of the social network X, controlled by South African magnate Elon Musk, for 10 days.
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Previously, the proposal to suspend X from Venezuelan cyberspace was developed by the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) with the aim of “enforcing the country’s laws.”
“X is out of Venezuela for 10 days so they can present their documentation and we can establish the final administrative measure. Enough! Enough of spreading violence and hatred and trying to attack Venezuela from abroad!” said the Bolivarian leader, who accused Musk of being part of a “cyber coup” against him.
“One day, sooner rather than later, new Venezuelan social networks will emerge to free the country from these people… We have to defeat the fascist, criminal cyber coup,” Maduro stated, referring to the owners of platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram, which he described as “multipliers of hatred.”
On July 28, Venezuelans went to the polls to choose the leader who will govern the country from 2025 to 2031. Following this event, the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared the candidate of the Great Patriotic Pole, Nicolas Maduro, as the winner of the election with nearly 52 percent of the vote. Despite this, the Venezuelan far right rejected the election results, supported by its allies, including Elon Musk, who has made statements against the Venezuelan government through his platform X.
Venezuela is not the first country to regulate the operation of platform X. In April, Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes opened an investigation against Musk for obstruction of justice, criminal organization, and incitement to crime. He also ordered Musk’s inclusion in an ongoing investigation on the “digital militias.”
For the past 15 years, other countries like Türkiye, France, India, China, South Korea, Russia, Nigeria, and Iran have also implemented temporary and/or permanent suspensions of Twitter for spreading messages of hate and destabilization in electoral contexts or during situations of social unrest.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE – teleSUR
