Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has challenged Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to a fight following the tech mogul’s accusations of election fraud in the South American nation.
What Happened: On Monday, Musk accused Maduro of “major election fraud,” sharing an image that allegedly displayed fraudulent voting percentages. He also shared another post showing the difference between exit polls and actual results saying, “What a travesty.”
In response, Maduro challenged the Musk on national television. “Do you want to fight? Let’s do it. Elon Musk, I’m ready,” he stated. “I'm not afraid of you Elon Musk. Let’s fight, wherever you want.”
Maduro also accused Musk of plotting to invade Venezuela with his rockets and an army.
Why It Matters: The Venezuelan election, conducted on Sunday, has been a hot topic of international debate. Maduro claims he won 51% of the vote against opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez’s 44%, according to the National Electoral Council. However, the president has been accused of fraud by the opposition and the validity of the elections has been questioned internationally.
Thousands of Venezuelans marched Monday evening toward the presidential palace to protest against the election results. Musk has been posting and commenting on videos from these protests on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Previously, Argentine President Javier Milei cautioned Maduro that Argentina would not “recognize another fraud” and expressed optimism that the Armed Forces would “defend democracy and the popular will.”
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has also expressed “serious concerns” about the results of the Venezuelan presidential election.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
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