Brazil’s First Lady Addresses Elon Musk with Expletive at G20-Related Event

Brazil’s first lady directed an expletive at billionaire Elon Musk during an event preceding the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. Janja Lula da Silva, participating in a panel discussion on disinformation where she advocated for stricter social media regulation, seemed surprised by a loud sound and quipped, “I think it’s Elon Musk.” She continued by stating, “I’m not afraid of you,” before using an expletive directed at the billionaire, who is the owner of Tesla and the social media platform X. Musk, designated to head the Department of Government Efficiency within the forthcoming US President Donald Trump’s administration, maintains a complex relationship with Brazil and its left-leaning government. The platform X experienced a temporary ban in the country earlier this year. He subsequently reposted a video clip of the occurrence, adding the caption “lol”. In a separate post, Musk included two laughing emojis and stated: “They are going to lose the next election”, seemingly alluding to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s Workers Party. Earlier this year, Brazil’s Supreme Court mandated a nationwide prohibition on X, following the platform’s failure to appoint a legal representative in the nation and to suspend accounts accused of disseminating disinformation. The prohibition was rescinded over a month later, after the platform remitted a $5.1m (£3.8m) fine. However, Musk is also an associate of Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of undermining the electoral system subsequent to his defeat in 2022. Despite an eight-year electoral ban preventing him from participating in elections, Bolsonaro has announced his intention to seek office again in the upcoming elections scheduled for 2026. Bolsonaro, who shared a screenshot of the video and Musk’s reaction, commented, “We now have another diplomatic problem.” The leaders of the G20 nations are scheduled to convene for the summit, commencing on Monday.