[LAUREN TAYLOR]

VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO HAS ISSUED A DECREE, BLOCKING HIS COUNTRY’S ACCESS TO USE THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM ‘X’ FOR TEN DAYS – AFTER HIS HEATED EXCHANGE WITH X OWNER, ELON MUSK. 

THE TWO EXCHANGED WORDS ON THE PLATFORM AFTER MADURO WAS DECLARED THE WINNER OF VENEZUELA’S CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION LAST MONTH.

MADURO’S OPPOSITION – EDMUNDO GONZALEZ’S TEAM – SAYS IT HAS EVIDENCE THAT GONZALEZ WON THE ELECTION — AND BY A WIDE MARGIN.

ACCORDING TO REPRESENTATIVES FOR GONZALEZ – THEY HAVE COPIES OF VOTING TALLIES SHOWING GONZALEZ’S VICTORY – WITH MORE THAN 7 MILLION VOTES COMPARED TO MADURO’S 3.3 MILLION.

HOWEVER – THE COUNTRY’S ELECTORAL BODY DECLARED MADURO THE WINNER – WITH APPROXIMATELY 51% OF THE VOTE – WITHOUT PROVIDING PROOF OF VOTING TALLIES.

ON X, MUSK CALLED MADURO A “DICTATOR” A “CLOWN” AND A “DONKEY” – AND THEN SAID THE DONKEY DIDN’T DESERVE TO BE COMPARED TO MADURO.

“THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS CLOWN” MUSK WROTE– IN RESPONSE TO A VIDEO OF VENEZUELANS TAKING DOWN BILLBOARDS OF MADURO.

“IT IS TIME FOR THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA TO HAVE THE CHANCE FOR A BETTER FUTURE” WROTE MUSK AFTER ALLEGING THERE MUST’VE BEEN “MAJOR ELECTION FRAUD BY MADURO.”

MADURO ACCUSED MUSK OF SPREADING “HATE” ON X AND STAGING A “CYBER COUP” AGAINST HIS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. 

MADURO SAID MUSK WAS TO BLAME FOR PROTESTS AND UNREST THAT FLARED UP IN VENEZUELA AFTER THE CONTESTED ELECTION – WITH VENEZUELANS DEMANDING MADURO STEP DOWN.

THE VENEZUELAN OBSERVATORY FOR SOCIAL CONFLICT CONFIRMS — NEARLY TWO DOZEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE PROTESTS.

MUSK AND MADURO EVEN AGREED TO PHYSICALLY FIGHT EACH OTHER, according to the new york times.

ON THURSDAY NIGHT – MADURO SPOKE TO VENEZUELANS ON STATE TELEVISION SAYING X WOULD BE “WITHDRAWN FROM CIRCULATION” BECAUSE “ELON MUSK IS THE OWNER OF X AND HAS VIOLATED ALL THE RULES.”

AS THE ELECTION RESULTS ARE QUESTIONED — THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY VOCAL IN DEMANDING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM MADURO’S GOVERNMENT.

COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, ARGENTINA AND CHILE HAVE REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE MADURO AS THE WINNER OF THE ELECTION. 

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