Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has asserted that the world is not obligated to tolerate billionaire Elon Musk’s “far-right anything goes” agenda simply because of his vast wealth. Lula da Silva made this statement in an interview in Brazil, published on Monday, shortly after Musk’s social media platform X was suspended in Brazil, affecting a significant market.
“The Brazilian justice system may have sent a crucial message that the world is not required to endure Musk’s extreme right-wing views just because he is wealthy,” the president remarked.
These comments are part of an ongoing dispute between Lula da Silva and Musk concerning free speech, far-right content, and misinformation within Brazil. Over the weekend, many Brazilians, including the president, bid farewell to X, sharing their profiles on other social media platforms.
Brazil represents a vital market for X, which has faced challenges with advertiser loss since Musk’s acquisition and rebranding of Twitter last year. Approximately 40 million Brazilians, or about one-fifth of the population, use X at least once a month, according to Emarketer.
The platform’s access was blocked following a Supreme Court order due to Musk’s refusal to appoint a legal representative in Brazil. The court had previously mandated the suspension of several X accounts as part of a broad investigation into misinformation and hate speech that threatens Brazilian democracy.
These suspensions have included accounts linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro’s right-wing party and individuals accused of undermining democracy. Musk, a self-declared “free speech absolutist,” has criticized the court’s actions as censorship, a viewpoint supported by Brazil’s political right.
On Tuesday, Musk further engaged with Brazilian politics by sharing a link on X to an upcoming demonstration advocating for “freedom, protesting judicial overreach, and defending free speech.
