Elon Musk challenges Maduro: dictatorship or space travel
The results of the Venezuelan elections are causing a worldwide outcry. The images of opposition protesters clashing with police, of people injured (more than 70), killed (12), kidnapped (more than 150) and detained (more than 800), of streets in flames and of violence unleashed on the streets are worrying.
From the province of Barinas to the city of Caracas, passing through the provinces of Portuguesa, Lara and Aragua, the scenes of military, criminal gangs and police are a constant, reflecting the serious situation of insecurity and violence in the country.
The idea that innocent people are being detained, injured and killed for simply expressing their opinion and fighting for their rights is unacceptable. So much so that even Elon Musk has decided to oppose it.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has stepped up his war of words against billionaire Elon Musk, accusing him of involvement in attacks on Venezuela and possibly being the mastermind behind the hacking of the National Electoral Council (CNE).
Maduro created a special commission to evaluate the country's biosecurity and the attack on the CNE's communications system, and accused Musk of being obsessed with taking over and ruling Venezuela from abroad. Following the vote and the announcement of the results, Musk criticised the vote as a ‘farce’.
Maduro responded to Musk's criticism with personal attacks, calling him an ‘arch enemy’ and accusing him of wanting to invade Venezuela with his ‘weapons and army’. Musk responded with a tweet in Spanish in which he called Maduro a ‘donkey’ and then apologised for the comparison, calling it ‘an insult to the animal kingdom’.
The war of words between Nicolás Maduro and Elon Musk has reached a new level. The Venezuelan president threatened to fight Musk: ‘Whoever messes with me dries up. You want a fight (Musk), let's fight’. Maduro then added: ‘If you want, I want Elon Musk’.
Musk responded on social media, accepting the fight and suggesting that, if he wins, Maduro should leave office in Venezuela. If he loses, however, Musk will invite him on a trip to Mars. In his final speech, Maduro claimed that he was not like Zuckerberg and told Musk to go there and they would actually fight. ‘If I defeat you, I will accept to go to Mars, but you will go with me,’ Maduro concluded.
The Chronology of Discord: an account of Venezuela's presidential election
Venezuela was immersed in an atmosphere of tension and expectation. Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro faced a challenge from Edmundo González, the opposition candidate. The election turned into a confrontation between the government and the opposition: the opposition claimed it had been cheated and the government declared Maduro the winner.
Prior to the vote, the government restricted access to the electoral process, preventing many opposition candidates and supporters from participating. Voting took place in an atmosphere of uncertainty: more than 21 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote.
The opposition alleges that the elections were rigged, while the government insists that the process was fair and transparent. After the vote, the CNE declared Maduro the winner, with 51.2% of the vote.
The opposition rejected the results, claiming that the election was rigged and that Gonzalez actually won. The city became a scene of protests and violence, with opposition supporters demanding a recount and the government deploying security forces to quell the violence.
The international community joined the opposition in condemning the election results and calling for a recount. The Organisation of American States (OAS) convened an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. The UN Secretary General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about the violence and called for respect for the right to peaceful protest. In addition, the OAS took Nicolás Maduro's ‘pucherazo’ to the International Criminal Court to call for his arrest and indictment.
Maduro declared victory and called on his supporters to take to the streets to defend the election results. The government accused the opposition of planning a coup d'état and promised to take action against those responsible for the protests. The government also announced the arrest of more than 800 protesters.
The situation remains volatile, with protests continuing across the country and the government deploying security forces to quell the violence. The opposition says it has evidence of fraud and is working to gather more evidence to back up its claim. The international community continues to condemn the election results, calling for a recount and expressing concern about the lack of transparency.
Stress in Venezuela is at an all-time high. It is in Venezuela's worst moments that we must remember the heroes who have given their lives for freedom and justice. One of them was Óscar Pérez whom the government of Nicolás Maduro assassinated on 19 January 2018 at kilometre 16 of El Junquito despite the fact that he surrendered and was with 6 civilians who were killed along with him.
As he said in his words: "We dared, you dare too. We must rescue the values of our country. This is our conviction. We are children of Miranda, of Bolívar, of Piar. Today is the moment. The tribute to the fallen is that this dictatorship falls. We said we were going to surrender, and they want to see us dead. We will give our lives if necessary for the freedom of Venezuela. Maduro, your power is over". After him came Guaidó and now María Corina Machado together with Edmundo González Urrutia who promised to collect the price of the elections. And they will.