Thousands of ardent admirers of Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro to show support for their beleaguered leader and to honor Elon Musk, the new hero of their far-right movement.
The tech magnate has been criticizing Bolsonaro’s fiercest opponent, Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, on his social network X in recent weeks. Moraes is in charge of multiple investigations investigating Bolsonaro that can result in the former president being imprisoned. One of these investigations looks into the purported coup attempt that took place prior to the right-wing uprising in Brasília on January 8, 2023.
Musk has been attacking Moraes since the beginning of April, referring to him as “Brazil’s Darth Vader” and likening his acts to those of a “brutal dictator.”
“This judge has consistently and blatantly betrayed the Brazilian people and their constitution. Musk tweeted, “Either he steps down or is impeached.
Progressive Brazilians are incensed over Musk’s internet campaign against Moraes, who has retaliated by involving the owner of X in an investigation into the online spread of fake news. They believe the effort is a well-planned international swindle aimed at undermining Brazil’s left-wing administration.
Gleisi Hoffmann, the leader of the ruling Workers’ party, claimed that Musk’s “truculent offensive” was an assault on the rule of law intended to strengthen the far-right movement in Brazil. Janja Lula da Silva, the first lady, has charged X with taking part in “a coordinated operation against democracy.”
But the self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Musk has thrilled Bolsonaro followers, who accuse Moraes of waging an anti-constitutional crusade against far-right influencers, politicians and activists. In recent years, Moraes has instructed social media firms including X to block dozens of accounts belonging to allies or supporters of Bolsonaro and ordered the arrest of a series of figures linked to the ex-president.
