X and Tesla owner Elon Musk and Venezuelan dictator Maduro, who has just won presidential elections, are at loggerheads with each other, with both of them trading barbs savagely. With the argument brewing, the Tesla CEO has now accepted to indulge in debate on national television with Venezuelan dictator. The tech magnate who has been constantly at odds with Maduro, has in the middle of post presidential election political turmoil on in the Venezuelan capital, taken to X and said, he “accepts” to fight him on national television with a condition —– “If I win, he resigns as dictator of Venezuela. If he wins, I give him a free ride to Mars.”

Elon Musk has used his social media platform X multiple times over the past few months to condemn Maduro and sometimes even thrown weight behind the opposition candidate in Venezuela. In one post Musk referred to Maduro as a “big guy”, side by side taking a dig at Facebook founder Zuckerberg by terming him a “little fella”. “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 said in his post.

For his part, the dictator has accused the tech magnate of being behind “attacks against Venezuela” and perhaps the mastermind of an alleged “computer hacking” at the National Electoral Council (CNE), which declared Maduro as the winner of Sunday’s vote. After a meeting with top military and political advisors on Tuesday, Maduro announced the creation of a special committee, aided by Chinese and Russian experts, to assess the nation’s biosecurity and an attack on the National Electoral Council’s communications systems. “The attacks, I am sure, were directed by the power of Elon Musk,” Maduro said.

However, after Musk’s public outbursts against him, Maduro reacted. “Social media creates a virtual reality, and who controls the virtual reality? Our new archenemy, the famous Elon Musk, 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,” he said.

Maduro has also accused the tech magnate of being a key force behind these attacks and suggested that there is a “global alliance” of extreme right-wing elements, Musk, drug traffickers, and the US government working against Venezuela. Maduro’s anger with Musk is understandable. The billionaire has had absolutely no qualms in publicly taking down Maduro’s policies on X. Prior to the recent election, Musk tweeted, “It is time for the people of Venezuela to have the chance for a better future. Support Maria Corina!”