In a video message, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro challenged Elon Musk, saying, “Elon Musk, you’re desperate and have lost control. Get a grip, or you’ll fail just like these right-wing American politicians. Whoever messes with me or Venezuela dries up, Elon Musk. You want to fight? Let’s do it.”
Maduro continued, “I am ready. I’m the son of Bolivar and Chavez and not afraid of you. Let’s fight wherever you want, as we say in Caracas. If you want it, I’m up for it. Just name the place.”
Musk later responded on X, stating simply: “I accept.”
The challenge follows Maduro’s declaration as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election on Sunday, which saw him secure over 50% of the vote, although the opposition disputes the legitimacy of the results.
As the election results emerged, Musk shared videos showing Venezuelans dismantling images of Maduro and toppling statues of Hugo Chavez. Maduro, seen holding a cellphone, declared war on Musk, stating, “Social media creates a virtual reality, and who controls it? Our new archenemy, Elon Musk.”
Social media buzzed with reactions to Musk's acceptance of the challenge. One user commented, “I’m betting on Elon. He’s a towering figure with the mindset of a honey badger.”
Musk himself responded to another user who compared the potential fight to a previous one he had with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, saying, “Maduro is a big guy 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.”
When asked about the outcome of a potential fight with Maduro, Musk replied, “If I win, he resigns as dictator of Venezuela. If he wins, I give him a free ride to Mars.” He also posted that Maduro would “chicken out.”
Following the election, anti-government protests erupted, with Maduro’s National Electoral Council declaring him the victor with a 51% to 44% margin over opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. Despite illegal pre-election polling showing Gonzalez with double the support, Maduro's police cracked down on protests, leading to violent clashes and the destruction of Chavez statues as symbols of frustration over the election results.
