'Shame On Dictator Maduro': Musk Accuses Venezuelan President Of Election Fraud In Social Media Clash

Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Monday picked a fight with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of election fraud on social media, as violent protests engulfed the Latin American country in the wake of the poll results.

After Maduro claimed victory in Venezuela’s presidential election, Musk took to the social media platform X to accuse him of “major election fraud.” “Shame on Dictator Maduro,” Musk said Monday. Maduro in turn trashed Musk as “the archenemy of Venezuela’s peace.”

READ MORE: Viral Video: Chaos In Venezuela As Opposition Protest Cries Foul Over Nicolas Maduro’s Reelection

Officials delayed the release of detailed vote tallies from Sunday’s election after proclaiming Maduro the winner with 51% of the vote, compared with 44% for retired diplomat Edmundo González. 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, formerly Twitter. Musk bought Twitter back in 2022, upending many of the social platform’s policies and laying off the majority of its workforce.

(With agency inputs)