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The dictator Nicolás Maduro lost his government entity verification on the social network X (the gray checkmark), owned by businessman Elon Musk. This occurred following a heated exchange between the two stemming from allegations of electoral fraud in Venezuela.
Maduro, who declared himself the winner in the elections held last Sunday amid allegations of irregularities, previously had a silver-gray badge on his X profile.
This verification is a distinction awarded to all government leaders around the world on the platform, including figures like U.S. President Joe Biden.
However, Maduro's account has been downgraded to a blue verification, which is available to any user who pays the monthly $8 subscription for X Premium.
Musk's decision to remove the verification of Maduro follows a series of similar actions by other social media platforms. Recently, Meta removed the blue check from Maduro's accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, which indicated that he was a recognized public figure.
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 "disgrace."
Maduro responded swiftly, labeling Musk as the "archenemy of peace in Venezuela" and accusing him of embodying a fascist and unnatural ideology, claiming he has plans to attack the country "with his rockets and an army."
The dispute extended beyond 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 was expecting 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, control yourself," Maduro said. "Whoever messes with me will wither."
The American magnate 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, "I apologize for comparing the poor donkey to Maduro. It's an insult to the animal world."
This is not Musk's first clash with foreign governments. Earlier this year, he had a conflict with a Supreme Court judge in Brazil regarding 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 left 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 swift. Several countries questioned the results, and in retaliation, the Venezuelan foreign ministry expelled the ambassadors of Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay.
This latest episode highlights the tense political situation in Venezuela and the growing influence of social media on global political dynamics.
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