On Wednesday, X owner Elon Musk accepted a challenge to fight issued by Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, the authoritarian despot who lost reelection but refuses to leave office.
The people of Venezuela have had enough of this clown 🤡 https://t.co/uolxvGFdwU
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2024
After Maduro lost the Venezuelan election and rigged the results to stay in power, Musk called him out in a post on X, demanding that he step down and honor the will of Venezuelans.
“Maduro, leave! Venezuelans chose to end the communist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro. The data announce a crushing victory of the opposition, and the world is waiting for you to recognize the defeat after years of socialism, misery, decadence and death,” Musk wrote on Monday evening after the real results of the election were leaked.
Maduro actually responded to Musk’s post, challenging him to a fight and declaring the tech billionaire to be Venezuela’s “new archenemy.”
“Social media creates a virtual reality, and who controls the virtual reality? Our new archenemy, the famous Elon Musk,” Maduro said during a speech. “Do you want to fight? Let’s do it. Elon Musk, I’m ready. I’m not afraid of you, Elon Musk. Let’s fight, wherever you want.”
El burro sabe mas que Maduro https://t.co/9fe6JWOatM
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2024
Musk happily accepted and added some stakes to the challenge — writing: “If I win, he resigns as dictator of Venezuela. If he wins, I give him a free ride to Mars.”
If I win, he resigns as dictator of Venezuela.
If he wins, I give him a free ride to Mars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2024
“Maduro is a big guy himself and probably knows how to fight, so this would be a real fight. Zuck is a little fella, so that would be a short fight lol,” Musk also wrote, referring to his ongoing feud with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who also challenged Musk to a fight, though that fight never ended up happening.
Maduro is a big guy himself and probably knows how to fight, so this would be a real fight.
Zuck is a little fella, so that would be a short fight lol.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2024
In another post, Musk predicted that the authoritarian despot “will chicken out.”
He will chicken out
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2024
His prediction appears to be true, as Maduro has not yet responded to Musk accepting the challenge.
Meanwhile, Venezuelans have begun their own fight against Maduro’s leadership, as they have been toppling statues of socialist leaders and ripping down posters of Maduro throughout the country.
A THIRD statue of Hugo Chavez, who represents socialism, has been torn down in Venezuela. This time in the parish of La Guaira. pic.twitter.com/0HnFGhZs8w
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) July 30, 2024
They have also begun raiding warehouses owned by Maduro, finding vast stockpiles of necessary goods that have been hidden from the people to manufacture artificial shortages and further oppress the people.
Venezuelans are raiding warehouses controlled by Maduro’s forces and they’re finding massive stockpiles of medicines and food.
It’s becoming evident the regime was keeping it all to themselves to manufacture artificial shortages and make the public dependent on the regime. pic.twitter.com/hTZnZ2VuJq
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) July 31, 2024
Maduro is reportedly continuing his efforts to cling to power and suppress the pro-freedom rebellion in the country, as reports indicate that he has issued arrest warrants for the man who rightfully won the election, Edmundo González, and opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Earlier today, I spoke with Maria and have since heard that Maduro put a warrant out for @MariaCorinaYa & @EdmundoGU for standing for freedom.
The United States must stand with the people of Venezuela as they courageously rally for freedom and democracy. pic.twitter.com/l46U4J5iKp
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) July 30, 2024
