“I’m coming for you, Maduro!” wrote the well-known American businessman in a message on X, accompanied by a video in which the president is seen giving direct orders to his security forces instructing them not to stop arresting people who have destabilized his government.
In the video, one of the members of the forces can be seen telling the president that they have captured two people who allegedly confessed that they were paid $50 to join the protests of thousands of Venezuelans who are protesting against the electoral fraud of July 28.
In the post, the tycoon also warned the self-proclaimed socialist leader: “I will take you to Guantanamo on a donkey.”
Musk accepted Maduro’s challenge on his X account on Wednesday, saying he was willing to fight him, whom he defined as “a big guy who surely knows how to fight.” However, he set a condition: “If I win, he resigns as dictator of Venezuela; if he wins, I’ll invite him on a free trip to Mars,” referring to his company Space X.
The answer came after he challenged him to a fight at a public event. “Elon Musk, whoever messes with me, gets killed! (…) Do you want a fight? I’m not afraid of you! Wherever you want, in the neighborhoods… If you want, I want to!” said the pro-government leader.
Musk has used this platform to express his disagreement with the fraudulent nature of the process, to which the Venezuelan dictator has responded with attacks and insults against Musk, leading to the exchange on this platform between the two becoming exacerbated.
“Shame on dictator Maduro,” Musk said Monday, writing yesterday: “The people voted overwhelmingly for (Edmundo) Gonzalez,” hours earlier after having reposted a post by Maria Corina Machado, leader of the South American country’s opposition.
Musk also recalled on his social networks that Nicolás Maduro is wanted by the United States Department of Justice, which is offering a reward of 15 million dollars to anyone who provides information that leads to the capture of the dictator, who is accused by the American authorities of drug trafficking operations.
In 2020, Maduro was linked to the Cartel de los Soles and was also charged in the Southern District of New York “with narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine,” among other charges.
In response to those comments, Maduro lashed out at Musk, saying he was an “archenemy of peace in Venezuela.”
Billionaire, “ultra-capitalist,” supporter of Donald Trump… Elon Musk is everything that Nicolás Maduro claims to hate, and for several days now he has been frequently mentioned in his speeches.
Calling him an “archenemy”, he accuses Musk of orchestrating “attacks against Venezuela” and even of being behind the alleged “hacking” of which the National Electoral Council (CNE) claims to have been a victim, serving the regime, which proclaimed Maduro the winner without giving the details of the voting.
On Tuesday, following a joint meeting of the State and Security Council, which brings together all the branches of government and in particular the Armed Forces, considered the main support of the dictatorship, Maduro announced the creation of “a special commission to evaluate, with Russian and Chinese advice,” the security system and, in particular, the attack that, according to his administration, damaged the CNE’s communication system, which the Chavistas have always referred to as “the safest and most reliable in the world.”
And when referring to these alleged cyber attacks, he also mentioned the businessman. “The attacks, I am sure, are directed by the power of Elon Musk,” said Maduro surrounded by military personnel.
The opposition and international observers dismiss the version of a hack and consider it rather a strategy of the dictatorship to avoid publishing the true results.
On Tuesday night, July 30, in front of hundreds of activists from his balcony, Maduro attacked Musk again.
“Venezuela, as I have denounced yesterday and today, is facing national and international aggression from world powers. Now it turns out that Elon Musk. Do you know who Elon Musk is? Now it turns out that he has become obsessed with taking over Venezuela and governing Venezuela from outside,” he said.
“He is largely responsible for the attacks and aggression,” he said, referring to an “alliance of the global far right, the fascist far right, drug trafficking, Elon Musk and the US imperialist government.”
“But I remind you: anyone who messes with Venezuela dries up,” he concluded in a bombastic tone.
“Shame on the dictator”
Elon Musk regularly comments and criticizes Maduro’s policies on X in a demonstration of his interest in events in the South American nation.
Before the vote, Musk posted: “It’s time for the Venezuelan people to have the opportunity for a better future. Support Maria Corina!”, referring to the charismatic leader who is the protagonist of the opposition presidential campaign.
When the results were announced on Sunday, Musk wrote: “Shame on dictator Maduro.” “What a parody,” referring to the figures announced by the CNE and denounced as fraud.
The billionaire’s comments sparked Maduro’s anger: “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.”
“He wants to control the world, he already controls Argentina (…) Do you want to fight, Elon Musk? I’m ready, I’m the son of (Simón) Bolívar and (Hugo) Chávez, I’m not afraid of you,” challenged the dictator who is heading for a third consecutive term that would add up to 18 years in power.
Posting the video of Maduro’s speech, Musk commented in Spanish: “The donkey knows more than Maduro” and then wrote again in Spanish: “Sorry for comparing the poor donkey to Maduro, it’s an insult to the animal world.”
Source: EDITORIAL with information from AP and AFP