Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro is happy to appear with American billionaire Elon Musk

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and entrepreneur Elon Musk in Porto Feliz, Brazil, May 20, 2022. AP - Cleverson Oliveira

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, visited Brazil on Friday May 20 and had lunch with President Jair Bolsonaro.

The entrepreneur promised satellites to monitor the Amazon and internet connections for unconnected schools in rural areas far from urban centers.

The Head of State took advantage of this visit to send political messages.

Advertisement

Read more

Elon Musk,

Jair Bolsonaro

, same fight?

The Brazilian president has never hidden his admiration for the billionaire, boss of the electric car manufacturer Tesla, who has just launched an

offensive to take control of Twitter

.

► Also to listen: Elon Musk, a billionaire with unlimited ambitions?

“ 

I'm super excited to be in Brazil for the launch of Starlink for 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas and for environmental monitoring in the Amazon 

,” Elon Musk tweeted.

Super excited to be in Brazil for launch of Starlink for 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas & environmental monitoring of Amazon!

🇧🇷 🌳 🛰 ♥️

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022

Starlink allows residents of areas poorly served by fixed and mobile networks to have access to high-speed Internet, via thousands of small satellites.

Brazilian Communications Minister Fabio Faria has revealed that Elon Musk has requested " 

permission to install 40,000 satellites 

" above the Amazon.

According to the minister, these satellites are equipped with a “ 

laser system which detects the sound of chainsaws 

” and allows “to 

check whether deforestation is illegal or not

 ”.

"

Restore the truth

 " about the Amazon

For his part, Jair Bolsonaro is particularly delighted with the agreement to monitor the Amazon from the satellites of Starlink, another company of Elon Musk, reports our correspondent in São Paulo

,

Martin Bernard

.

This will serve to " 

restore the truth

 " about the

Amazon rainforest

, says Jair Bolsonaro, who denies the extent and

dangers of deforestation

.

He wants to “ 

show this truth, show that the Amazon is preserved

 ”.

The Brazilian president also welcomes Elon Musk's desire to buy the social network Twitter and to grant total freedom of expression to Internet users, even if it means giving way to extremist speeches. " 

It's a first contact, the beginning of a romantic relationship, I'm sure it will soon lead to a marriage

 , ”he said, during a press conference in which Elon Musk did not participate.

During the meeting, in a luxury hotel near São Paulo, in the south-east of the country, the Brazilian president presented the American billionaire with the medal of the Order of Merit for Defense.

But above all, Jair Bolsonaro seized the opportunity to appear alongside the richest man in the world, a photo that is priceless 

a few months before the presidential election

, scheduled for October.

-Conversei há pouco com @elonmusk , que visita o Brasil a convite do Ministro @fabiofaria .

Between outros assuntos, tratamos de conectividade, investimentos, inovação eo uso da tecnologia como reforço na protection de nossa Amazônia e na realização do potencial econômico do Brasil.

pic.twitter.com/mijIdgvJS5

— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) May 20, 2022

(

And with

AFP)

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

  • Brazil

  • Jair Bolsonaro

  • Elon Musk

  • Amazon

  • Social networks

  • Twitter