Venezuela reopens access to X after year-long shutdown under Maduro

Access to X, formerly known as Twitter, was restored in Venezuela on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, more than a year after former President Nicolás Maduro blocked the social media platform.
The shutdown followed sustained criticism of Maduro’s disputed 2024 re-election, during which he clashed publicly with the platform’s owner, billionaire Elon Musk.

The suspension of X came in August 2024 after Maduro was declared winner of the July election amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud.
Following the restoration, Interim President Delcy Rodríguez — who served as vice president during Maduro’s administration — updated her X profile and posted a message calling for unity. “Let us stay united, moving towards economic stability, social justice, and the welfare state we deserve to aspire to,” she wrote.
Maduro’s X account was also updated with a photo of the former leader alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, accompanied by the caption: “We want you back.”
Although access has now been restored, connectivity to the platform had remained inconsistent for months. The social media network was widely used by Venezuelans before the ban, but the shutdown forced government officials, lawmakers and public institutions to abandon their accounts.
Maduro ordered the suspension of X after repeated online confrontations with Musk and mounting criticism over his contested victory.
Rodríguez assumed leadership after Maduro and his wife were captured by United States military forces on January 3, during operations that reportedly left more than 100 people dead, according to AFP. The couple is currently facing charges in the United States over alleged drug trafficking.