BTN News: The political situation in Venezuela has become even more tense due to a public conflict between two very different people: Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela, and Elon Musk, the billionaire behind SpaceX, Tesla, and the social network X. Their feud has grown more intense after Venezuela’s recent elections, which many people believe were unfair and not free.
Maduro, who says he is a socialist and dislikes capitalist leaders, has found a new enemy in Musk. Musk supports capitalism and Donald Trump, which Maduro strongly opposes. In his recent speeches, Maduro has often talked about Musk, calling him his “archenemy.” He accuses Musk of planning attacks against Venezuela and even blames him for a cyberattack on the National Electoral Council (CNE). This council, which supports Maduro, declared him the winner of the election but did not share details about the vote counts.
In a surprising move, Maduro challenged Musk to a physical fight. During a press conference with foreign journalists, Maduro said, “Elon Musk, let’s fight. Come here to the Poliedro arena, just you and me. If I win, Elon Musk, I will accept your trip to Mars, but you must come with me.” Maduro made a similar challenge right after the election results were announced, saying, “Do you want to fight, Elon Musk? I’m ready, I’m the son of Bolívar and Chávez, I don’t fear you.”
Musk, who is known for not backing down from a challenge, replied on his social media platform X, accepting Maduro’s challenge and raising the stakes. He said that if he won the fight, Maduro should “resign as the dictator of Venezuela.” But if Maduro won, Musk promised him a “free trip to Mars” on one of his SpaceX missions.
As this public argument continued, Maduro announced a “special commission to evaluate, with Russian and Chinese advisors,” the security system and the alleged attack on the CNE’s communication network. He said again that Musk was behind these attacks, stating, “The attacks, I’m sure, are directed by Elon Musk’s power,” while surrounded by military personnel.
However, international observers and opposition leaders do not believe the hacking story. They think it is a tactic to avoid sharing the true election results. The disputed election, full of accusations of fraud and manipulation, has made Venezuela’s political crisis even worse.
From his balcony, in front of hundreds of activists, Maduro continued to attack Musk. He accused Musk of leading an international aggression against Venezuela. “Venezuela, as I denounced yesterday and today, is facing national and international aggression from global powers. Now it turns out that Elon Musk… Do you know who Elon Musk is? Now he is obsessed with taking over Venezuela and ruling it from the outside,” Maduro said. He also accused Musk of being part of an alliance with the far-right, fascists, drug traffickers, and the imperialist government of the United States.
Musk, on the other hand, has often criticized Maduro’s policies on social media. Before the controversial July 28 election, Musk tweeted, “It is time for the Venezuelan people to have the opportunity for a better future. Support María Corina!” This was a reference to a popular opposition leader.
After the election results, which the opposition said were fraudulent, Musk tweeted, “What a shame for dictator Maduro… What a farce,” agreeing with many who saw the results as a joke.
These comments made Maduro very angry. He accused Musk of wanting to invade Venezuela with rockets and an army. In a dramatic speech, Maduro said, “He would like to come with his rockets and an army to invade Venezuela. Elon Musk, fortunately, you showed your face because we knew you were behind everything! With your money, with your satellites.”
Musk’s response was direct and mocking. He posted a video of Maduro’s speech with the caption in Spanish: “El burro sabe más que Maduro” (The donkey knows more than Maduro). In another post, he apologized to donkeys for comparing them to Maduro, saying, “Sorry for comparing the poor donkey with Maduro, it’s an insult to the animal kingdom.”
Despite the ongoing argument, Maduro continues to claim victory over Musk and the “global far-right.” He said, “The people beat the bots (virtual robots) and Elon Musk, we beat the bots and Elon Musk,” celebrating what he sees as a win over outside interference.
This unusual and very public fight between a socialist president and a capitalist billionaire shows how deep the political crisis in Venezuela is. As Maduro gets ready for a possible third term, which would make his time in power 18 years, the world is watching closely. People are questioning the legitimacy of his presidency and the future of democracy in Venezuela amidst such unprecedented turmoil.
