On Brazil’s Independence Day, Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro led a political rally, amid growing dissent over the suspension of social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Jurist News reports.
Last month, X announced that it would end operations in Brazil, citing “censorship orders” from Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The platform had raised concerns about the safety of its employees. X claimed that the judge had received increased threats against its legal team, including the potential arrest of its representative in Brazil.
Since then, Elon Musk, the owner of X, has harshly attacked de Moraes, accusing him of being “a criminal cosplaying a judge”. Musk has described the restrictions as “the most draconian demands of any country on Earth.”
Bolsonaro has harshly criticised the censoring of X. In an Instagram post, Bolsonaro said, “There is no point celebrating our independence if we are deprived of freedom.” The Former President encouraged Brazilians to stay away from official Independence Day parades, calling on them to join him in Sao Paulo.
Bolsonaro has long admired Musk.During the opening of Starlink in Brazil in 2022, President Bolsonaro honoured Elon with Brazil’s prestigious Order of Defense Merit.
Justice de Moraes, on the other hand, enjoys a less amiable relationship with Musk. Bolsonaro and his supporters have long been at odds with Judge de Moraoes. As president of the Superior Electoral Court, de Moraoes barred Bolsonaro from running for office in 2030.
Justice de Moraes is known for his firm stance against disinformation and is leading several investigations into Bolsonaro, particularly regarding his involvement in the January 2023 riots.
In the last election, Bolsonaro narrowly lost to President Lula and is under investigation for his alleged role in a coup attempt. During the riot, Bolsonaro’s supporters, known as Bolsonaristas, stormed key government buildings, claiming election fraud and demanding military intervention. The decision to ban Bolsonaro from seeking re-election related to his alleged attempts to undermine Brazil’s electoral process.
Worth reading in full.
