Why Did Venezuela's President Challenge Elon Musk To A Fight?
A date has not yet been set for Musk and Maduro's fight but Musk has said that if he wins, Maduro must resign as dictator, and if Maduro wins, Musk will give him a free rocket ride to Mars.
Venezuela’s president has challenged Elon Musk to a fight and he has accepted.
Nicolas Maduro President of Venezuela speaks to the media to give a balance of the recent Parliamentary elections during a press conference. (Photo credit: Getty)
If you follow Elon Musk on Twitter you might have realized that in the past couple of weeks, he has tweeted a lot about Venezuela. So what’s been happening in Venezuela and why is it’s president trying to fight Musk?
On Sunday, July 28, the people of Venezuela took to the polls to elect a new president.
A man votes during the Venezuelan presidential election, in Caracas. (Photo credit: Getty)
The election was highly anticipated since it would determine if current President Nicolas Maduro would rule for a third term.
President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro celebrates after winning the presidential election on at Miraflores Palace July 28, 2024 in Caracas, Venezuela. (Photo credit: Getty)
Maduro has been in power since 2013, when he succeeded former president Hugo Chávez, the leader of the left-wing Chavista party, who was elected in 1999 and ruled until his death.
President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro speaks next to an image of late former President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez. (Photo credit: Getty)
Since his rise to power, Maduro has pushed the country towards what many consider a dictatorship.
Opposition demonstrators take part in protest against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, called by opposition leader and self-proclaimed "acting president" Juan Guaido, near Parque Cristal, in Caracas. (Photo credit: Getty)
He has imposed authoritarian measures, such as cracking down on opposition, protests and freedom of the press, and taken control of the congress.
Venezuelan woman protesting with placard against Nicolas Maduro during a demonstration to denounce that "there is no respect for human rights resulting from repression and dictatorship in Venezuela". (Photo credit: Getty)
Not only that, the government has failed to address an economic crisis that is so bad that it has driven 7.1 million Venezuelans to flee the country, making it one of the worst refugee crises in the world.
A shopper walks past nearly empty shelves at a supermarket due to a long term shortage in Caracas, Venezuela. (Photo credit: Getty)
Given Venezuelans' dissatisfaction with Maduro and his party, the opposition party led by Maria Corina Machado believed that they had a chance of winning.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures during a campaign rally of presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, in Barinas, Venezuela. (Photo credit: Getty)
Machado became a central figure in the opposition for calling out Maduro's government’s human rights abuses and demanding democratic reforms.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado marches with her supporters to formalize her registration of her candidacy for the primary elections of the opposition. (Photo credit: Getty)
She won her party's primary elections with 90% of the vote, but then the government banned her from running over"corruption”.
Wife of Venezuelan jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, and Venezuelan opposition ex-congresswoman Maria Corina Machado(C), march during a demonstration in Caracas. (Photo credit: Getty)
The opposition then proposed Edmundo González, a former diplomat who never considered being a presidential candidate, to run against Maduro.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado (R) and the opposition presidential candidate for Plataforma Unitaria Democrática, Edmundo Gonzalez, attend a campaign rally in La Victoria, Aragua State, Venezuela. (Photo credit: Getty)
Venezuelan Presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attend a campaign rally in Caracas. (Photo credit: Getty)
But on Monday, the electoral committee, which is made up mostly of Maduro's party members, announced that Maduro had won the election again with 51.2% of the votes, while González received 44.2%.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a rally at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas. (Photo credit: Getty)
Hours later, the opposition said they had actually obtained the victory with 70% of the votes.
The opposition is now calling for the government to show a detailed count of the votes to prove there has not been fraud.
People hold a large Venezuelan flag during a demonstration. Venezuelans residing in Madrid gathered in Puerta del Sol to protest and express their disagreement with the election results in Venezuela and give support to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. (Photo credit: Getty)
Several countries are refraining from acknowledging Maduro’s win, and people like Elon Musk are calling the elections a fraud.
Demonstrators protest against Venezuela's electoral process and President Nicolas Maduro in Miami, Florida. (Photo credit: Getty)
Musk, who criticizes almost every left-wing government and party has been vocal about his dislike of Maduro’s policies, saying they have ruined Venezuela, and even called him a “dictator”.
Elon Musk attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Photo credit: Getty)
Maduro has accused Musk of organizing “attacks against Venezuela” and then decided to challenge him to a fight.
A date has not yet been set for Musk and Maduro's fight but Musk has said that if he wins, Maduro must resign as dictator, and if Maduro wins, Musk will give him a free rocket ride to Mars.
Meanwhile, thousands of Venezuelans are taking to the streets to protest against what they say is unfair elections and Maduro’s government.
Sofia Hou
