Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro praises ‘legend of liberty’ Elon Musk

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday heaped praise on self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” and billionaire Elon Musk, describing the latter’s proposed acquisition of Twitter as a “breath of hope.”

Speaking at an upscale hotel with the 50-year-old billionaire at his side, Bolsonaro called for the erasure of “lies” about his much-criticised stewardship of the ecologically sensitive Amazon region.

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“We need, and are counting on Elon Musk for the Amazon to be known by all in Brazil and the world, to show … how we have protected it, and how much harm is caused by those who spread lies about that region,” the Brazilian President said, completely overlooking recent satellite data showing that deforestation in the Amazon has hit a 15-year-high.

Bolsonaro then went on to heap praise on the Tesla and SpaceX founder and his stance of free speech, describing Musk as a “legend of liberty.”

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The billionaire’s visit to Brazil for the launch of Starlink satellite services and his meeting with the country’s far-right President comes at a time when Musk has publicly flaunted his shifting political compass.

The 50-year-old has, of late, stepped up his criticism of what he describes as the “left”: while the billionaire had earlier claimed that the left “hates everyone,” he recently signalled his move away from the Democrats, describing the party as one of “division & hate.”

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Prior to his trip to Brazil on Friday, Musk also accused the so-called left of being responsible for a Bloomberg report that claimed that SpaceX had paid $250,000 to settle a sexual harassment claim against the billionaire.

Yet, despite his recent clashes with the so-called left, Musk has maintained that he is “no fan of the far-right,” and rather supports a “moderate” political outlook.