AFP
Musk versus Maduro, “arch enemies” from a distance
Nicolás Maduro vs. Elon Musk, Elon Musk vs. Nicolás Maduro. From a distance, the billionaire and the Venezuelan president have been dedicated to criticizing each other, but with the political crisis in Venezuela after the questioned elections on Sunday, the exchanges have been exacerbated. Tycoon, “ultra-capitalist”, supporter of Donald Trump… Musk, who owns companies such as SpaceX, Tesla or the social network X, is everything that Maduro claims to detest, and for several days he has been frequently mentioned in his speeches. Calling him “arch enemy”, he accuses Musk of orchestrating “attacks against Venezuela” and even of being behind the alleged “computer hacking” of which the National Electoral Council (CNE), of official line, claims to have been the victim, which proclaimed Maduro the winner without giving the details of the votes. In fact, in a press conference on Wednesday with foreign correspondents he again challenged him to a fight. “Elon Musk, let’s fight. But come here, to the Poliedro (Coliseum), you and me. If I beat you, Elon Musk, I’ll accept your trip to Mars, but you’re going with me.” He had already made the same challenge to him just after the election: Do you want a fight, Elon Musk? “I am ready, I am the son of (Simon) Bolivar and (Hugo) Chavez, I am not afraid of you,” said the socialist president, who is heading for a third consecutive term with which he would add up to 18 years in power. Musk replied “I accept” in a message on X. In another he even said that, if he won, Maduro should “resign as dictator of Venezuela” and that, if instead the president took the victory, he would give him “a free trip to Mars” of those he plans to make in the future with his aerospace company SpaceX. In the midst of this dispute, Maduro announced on Tuesday 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 government, damaged the CNE’s communication system. “The attacks, I am sure, are directed by the power of Elon Musk,” declared the president surrounded by military personnel. The opposition and international observers do not believe in a hack and rather consider that it is a strategy toto avoid publishing the true results. On Tuesday night, in front of hundreds of activists from his balcony, Maduro again attacked Musk from a distance. “Venezuela, as I have denounced yesterday and today, is facing a 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 aggressions,” he said, referring to an “alliance of the global far right, the fascist far right, drug trafficking, Elon Musk and the imperialist government of the United States.” “But I remind you: anyone who messes with Venezuela dries up,” he said in a bombastic tone. – “Shame on the dictator” – Musk also periodically comments on Maduro’s policies on X. Asked about the criticism, a senior Venezuelan foreign ministry official commented: “We know who Musk is. He is far right and supports (Argentine President Javier) Milei … So we take all that as a compliment.” Before the July 28 vote, Musk posted: “It’s time for the Venezuelan people to have the chance for a better future. Support Maria Corina!”, referring to the charismatic leader, protagonist of the opposition campaign for the presidency. When the results were announced on Sunday, the tycoon added: “What a shame for the dictator Maduro” … “What a parody,” in reference to the figures announced by the CNE and considered by the opposition to be a 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.” When publishing the video of Maduro’s intervention, Musk commented in Spanish: “The donkey knows more than Maduro” and then wrote again in that language: “Sorry for comparing the poor donkey with Maduro, it is an insult to the animal world.” Maduro, who often denounces censorship against him, declares himself the winner in the face of attacks by the tycoon and the “global far right.” “The people beat the bots (virtual robots) and Elon Musk, we beat the bots and Elon Musk,” the president celebrated.pgf/mbj/nn/mar/val/arm
