After the meeting in which the far-right president spared no praise for Musk, both announced the launch of a satellite connection program for 19,000 isolated schools and “environmental monitoring” of the Amazon jungle that will be implemented by the South African billionaire’s SpaceX company. .
For his part, Musk said setting up his Starlink satellite network for both tasks is “very good” for “educational and environmental” reasons.
However, details of the deal were not disclosed.
“It is the first visit [de Musk] here, the first contact, the beginning of a sentimental relationship that, I am sure, will end in marriage shortly”, Bolsonaro declared.
The meeting, in which the Minister of Communications also participated, took place in a luxurious hotel in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo, guarded by several police cars.
Heavily criticized for his environmental policy and the record numbers of deforestation and fires in the largest tropical forest on the planet, Bolsonaro added that he is counting on Musk to show “how we preserve the Amazon.”
“Y [para mostrar] how much harm those who spread lies about that region cause us,” he added.
The meeting generated great expectation. The hashtag #BolsonaroMusk became the number 1 trend in Brazil this Friday.
Faria explained in a press conference that the satellites will provide the government with tools to help control deforestation.
“Some Musk satellites have a laser that detects the noise of the electric saw” of those who deforest the forests, the minister explained. He added that the satellites will help monitor “hot spots” in the region to control possible illegal fires.
Brasilia had announced in November that it was negotiating a deal with Musk to get satellite internet in the Amazon jungle.
– “Lack of action, no monitoring –
For Oliver Stuenkel, professor of International Relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, the program can help Bolsonaro politically “despite the fact that experts” point out that “the problem of combating deforestation is not the lack of monitoring.”
“Bringing the internet is fantastic, connecting schools makes sense. But to monitor deforestation does not make much sense [Starlink], because it is already made in Brazil with excellence. What is missing is action, not monitoring,” Tasso Azevedo, coordinator of Mapbiomas, a consortium of NGOs, Brazilian universities and startups that uses satellite images to track the destruction of the forest, told AFP.
Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is currently the richest person in the world, according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated fortune of more than $200 billion.
Last month he announced his plan to buy the social network Twitter, for which he offered 44,000 million dollars.
The announcement of the offer – now on hold – was celebrated with euphoria by Bolsonaro and his followers, who aspire to less control of social networks before the October elections, when the president will seek a second term.
– “Breath of hope” –
“The example he gave us when the purchase of Twitter was announced left us with a breath of hope,” the president told Musk.
Due to the current control policy on Twitter, several Bolsonaro posts were removed from the network for “disinformation.”
“Musk has become in recent weeks a kind of hero of Bolsonaroism. Twitter’s possible acquisition of him was seen as good news because it would supposedly end the restrictions that are emerging on various social networks,’ Stuenkel explained.
Musk has said his proposed purchase is motivated by a desire to ensure free speech on the platform and has declared in favor of lifting the veto against former President Donald Trump, imposed after the attacks on Capitol Hill in January 2021.
Musk’s offer, however, is on hold until the businessman obtains assurances about the estimated number of fake accounts on the platform.
