Elon Musk removes government verification from Nicolás Maduro on social network X.

The dictator Nicolás Maduro lost his government entity verification on the social network X (the gray checkmark), owned by businessman Elon Musk, an event that occurs after a heated exchange between the two following allegations of electoral fraud in Venezuela.

Maduro, who declared himself the winner in the elections last Sunday amid allegations of irregularities, previously had a gray-silver badge on his X profile.

This verification is a distinction awarded to all government leaders in the world on the platform, including figures like U.S. President Joe Biden.

However, Maduro's account has been downgraded to a blue verification, available to any user who pays the 8 dollars monthly fee for the X Premium subscription.

Musk's decision to remove Maduro's verification follows a series of similar moves by other social media platforms. Recently, Meta removed the blue checkmark from Maduro's accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, which indicated that he was a recognized personality.

Musk has been an outspoken critic of the electoral process in Venezuela, accusing Maduro of "significant electoral fraud." On his social media platform, Musk expressed his disdain for the Venezuelan leader, calling him a "shame."

Maduro quickly responded, labeling Musk as the "archenemy of peace in Venezuela" and accusing him of representing a fascist and unnatural ideology, and of having plans to attack the country "with his rockets and an army."

The dispute was not limited to these comments. Musk also retweeted a post from Argentine President Javier Milei, who stated that the results indicated strong opposition to Maduro's victory. Milei declared that the world expected the Venezuelan government to acknowledge its defeat after years of socialism, misery, and decay.

Maduro, furious, described Musk as a threat to Venezuela and issued warnings against the magnate. “Elon Musk is desperate, get a grip,” said Maduro. “Whoever messes with me will dry up.”

The American mogul continued his attacks, posting messages in Spanish and sharing a video about Maduro's proclamation. In one of his tweets, Musk stated: "The donkey knows more than Maduro" and added: "Sorry for comparing the poor donkey to Maduro. It's an insult to the animal world."

This is not Musk's first confrontation with foreign governments. Earlier this year, he had a conflict with a Supreme Court judge in Brazil about freedom of expression and misinformation on X.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela officially proclaimed Maduro as president, announcing that he won the elections with 51.2% of the votes, despite the fact that more than two million votes were still to be counted.

The opposition, led by María Corina Machado, claimed to have 70% of the voting records and that their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, received 73% of the votes.

International rejection was immediate. Several countries questioned the results, and as retaliation, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry expelled the ambassadors of Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay.

This latest episode underscores the tense political situation in Venezuela and the growing influence of social media on the global political dynamic.