Brazil’s First Lady Criticizes Elon Musk at Pre-G20 Event

Brazil’s First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, made headlines over the weekend by publicly addressing billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk in a defiant manner during a pre-G20 event. During her speech at the G20 Social Summit in Rio de Janeiro, she commented on the pressing issue of misinformation on social media.

As First Lady Janja Lula da Silva was speaking on Saturday, she humorously referenced a distant ship horn, suggesting, «I think it’s Elon Musk,» before explicitly stating, «I’m not afraid of you, f**k you, Elon Musk.» The comment elicited cheers from the audience.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of social network X, responded to the viral clip of her remarks by posting a laughing emoji on X, his social media platform. He followed up with a comment, «They will lose the next election,» targeting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The occurrence took place two days prior to the commencement of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, which brought together leaders from the world’s major economies. While Musk’s presence was noted at the summit, he did not participate in the widely publicized photo opportunity with other global leaders, a move attributed to «logistical reasons» by the White House.

In September, Brazil had banned X, Musk’s social media platform, due to concerns over misinformation. The country’s Supreme Court Justice, Alexandre de Moraes, imposed the ban, citing inadequate moderation on the platform. The ban was lifted a month later after X complied with Brazilian laws and judicial decisions to respect national sovereignty.

«X is proud to return to Brazil,» the company stated at the time, emphasizing its commitment to defending freedom of speech within legal boundaries.

This event underscores the tension surrounding the regulation of social media and its impact on misinformation, a topic that remains contentious among world leaders and tech moguls alike.