Elon Musk picks fight with Venezuelan President, calls him a dictator

Comments on X follow results of Venezuela's presidential election, in which Maduro and his opponents each claimed victory

Washington: Add Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to the growing list of foreign leaders with whom tech billionaire Elon Musk has picked a fight.

Following the results of Venezuela’s presidential election, in which Maduro and his opponents each claimed victory, the owner of X took to the social media platform to accuse the self-proclaimed socialist leader of “major election fraud.” “Shame on Dictator Maduro,” Musk said Monday. Maduro in turn trashed Musk as “the archenemy of Venezuela’s peace.”

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Adios Dictatora Maduro https://t.co/79saJ8OSp4

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2024

Officials delayed the release of detailed vote tallies from Sunday’s election after proclaiming Maduro the winner with 51 per cent of the vote, compared with 44 per cent for retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez. The competing claims set up a high-stakes standoff.

After failing to oust Maduro during three rounds of demonstrations since 2014, the opposition put its faith in the ballot box. The elections were among the most peaceful in recent memory, reflecting hopes that Venezuela could avoid bloodshed and end 25 years of single-party rule.

Musk also retweeted a comment on X by his “friend” Argentine President Javier Milei. “The numbers announced a landslide opposition by the victory and the world is waiting for the government to acknowledge defeat after years of socialism, misery, decadence and death,” Milei said.

Maduro was swift to respond to Musk’s social media posts, calling the billionaire a threat to Venezuela.

“He is the representation of the fascist ideology, anti-natural, anti-society,” Maduro said. “Elon Musk is desperate, control yourself,” he warned. “Whoever gets involved with me dries out.”

This is not Musk’s first confrontation with foreign governments. Earlier this year, the self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” clashed with a Brazilian supreme court justice over free speech, far-right accounts and purported misinformation on X.

Musk bought Twitter back in 2022, upending many of the social platform’s policies and laying off the majority of its workforce.

As for Venezuela’s election, leaders around the world also expressed concerns over the results, many calling for transparency in the vote count.