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Brazil’s first lady cursed at billionaire Elon Musk over disinformation on social media during a G20 event in Rio de Janeiro last weekend.
Janja Lula da Silva, whose husband is President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, talked about the need to fight fake news and regulate social media networks when she revealed her thoughts on the Tesla CEO.
At one point in her speech, a ship’s horn sounded, prompting her to jokingly respond, “I think it’s Elon Musk.” Reuters reported. She then said she wasn’t afraid of him and added: “F*** you, Elon Musk.”
Musk, who has consistently sided with Donald Trump since he won the election, quickly responded to the images circulating on his social media platform X.
He shared a clip of that moment and simply captioned it, “Lol,” followed by a message that read, “They will lose the next election.”
The first lady has fallen out with Musk after threatening to sue his social media company following a hack into her X account. She accused SpaceX’s owner of failing to respond adequately.
Brazilian first lady Janja Lula da Silva made her feelings for Musk known (AFP via Getty Images)
The incident comes as
Internet providers began restoring access to the platform after Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes allowed X’s suspension to be lifted.
De Moraes ordered the closure of X on August 30 after a months-long dispute with Musk over freedom of speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Musk had disparaged De Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, although his statements, including X’s nationwide suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his colleagues.
Musk’s company ultimately met all of De Moraes’ demands. They include blocking certain accounts from the platform, paying $5 million in fines and appointing a legal representative. If the latter had not happened, the suspension would have occurred.
Brazil – a highly online country with 213 million people – is one of X’s largest markets, with user base estimates ranging from 20 million to 40 million.
The Associated Press contributed to this report