Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has escalated tensions with the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and its owner Elon Musk by imposing a 10-day ban on the platform in Venezuela. Maduro announced the decision after signing a resolution from regulator Conatel, accusing Musk of inciting hate, civil unrest, and violence following a controversial presidential election. In a televised speech, Maduro declared, “X get out of Venezuela for 10 days!”

Maduro and Musk have had a contentious relationship, with both parties exchanging insults. Musk has compared Maduro to a donkey, while Maduro has accused Musk of being a major influence behind protests and opposition activities after the disputed election. The rivalry has even led to challenges of physical confrontations being proposed between the two, both on social media and through Venezuelan state television.

The prohibition on X is a component of Maduro's larger offensive against large tech firms. He urged his followers earlier this week to go from WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, to other messaging services like WeChat or Telegram. He asserted that threats against the families of police and military personnel were being made over WhatsApp. WhatsApp has refrained from commenting, while X has not yet responded to calls for comment.

The proclamation of Maduro as the victor of the July 28 presidential election, with 51% of the vote, by the Venezuelan electoral body is what sparked the debate. The lack of voting tallies from the authority, however, has sparked widespread allegations of electoral fraud. Protest coordination and claim amplification were greatly aided by social media sites such as X.

Protests broke out after the election, both domestically and abroad, with participants calling on Maduro to resign and admit defeat to opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. At least 23 people have died in these rallies, according to the Venezuelan Observatory for Social Conflict, underscoring the increased tension and turmoil in the nation.