Elon Musk, the owner of X, urged for the resignation or removal of a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, whom the billionaire accused of censorship. This comes after the justice blocked accounts believed to be disseminating disinformation.
“This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached,” Tesla and SpaceX boss Musk said of Alexandre de Moraes.
Starting Saturday evening, Musk utilized X, the platform previously known as Twitter which he acquired in 2022, to initiate a barrage of criticisms against the justice. Musk expressed concern that if Moraes proceeded with the threat to “cut off access” to the platform, it could lead to a loss of revenue in Brazil and potentially force the closure of their office there.
“But principles matter more than profit.”
Moraes, a polarizing judicial figure, is viewed as tyrannical by some and as a staunch defender of democracy by others. He is one of the 11 members of Brazil’s high court and also presides over the country’s Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE). Critics, including Musk, have accused Moraes of being involved in a broad crackdown on free speech in Brazil.
Moraes has been at the forefront of combating disinformation in Brazil. Over the years, he has ordered the suspension of accounts belonging to influential figures on social media platforms, many of whom are supporters of Jair Bolsonaro.
In 2023, Moraes-led TSE declared the far-right former president ineligible to run for office due to spreading false information about Brazil’s electoral system.
Bolsonaro is under investigation for allegedly orchestrating an attempted coup to thwart his electoral defeat against the current leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in 2022. This comes after a group of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the headquarters of Brazil’s three branches of government in Brasilia.
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