Key Takeaways
- Maduro accuses Musk of investing $1 billion in a coup d’etat in Venezuela
- Musk shot back on X, escalating a verbal confrontation between the two
- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was reelected for his third term as president until 2031 with 51% of the vote
Caracas: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk of investing at least $1 billion into plots to overthrow his government.
“Elon Musk invested at least $1 billion toward a coup d’etat, fascist rebellion, and violence against the electoral process in Venezuela,” Maduro said on his TV show “With Maduro +”.
This is the latest in a series of accusations put forth by Venezuela’s leader against Musk. He believes that the tech mogul is obsessed with the idea of seizing power in Venezuela and is trying to reach this goal by financing public unrest in the South American country.
Musk has been shooting back on X, the social media platform that he owns. The verbal confrontation escalated into an exchange of personal insults. In early August, Maduro suspended X in Venezuela for 10 days.
Mass protests erupted across in Venezuela in late July, following an election in which Maduro was reelected for his third term as president until 2031 with 51% of the vote. Protesters clashes with the police in Caracas. Maduro’s government claimed there were countries that attempted to meddle in the election and thus violate Venezuelans’ right to self-determination.
