Brazil:

A man with explosives died Wednesday trying to enter Brazil’s Supreme Court in what appeared to be a suicide, officials said, days before the country hosts the G20 summit. 

“This citizen approached the Federal Supreme Court, tried to enter, failed, and the explosion happened at the entrance,” Brasilia governor Celina Leao told reporters, adding that no one else was hurt.

The man’s body was located outside the court after two explosions occurred, but suspicious objects around it prevented immediate efforts to carry out identification, she said. 

The first blast came from a car in the square outside the court around 7:30 pm (2230 GMT). The second one happened a few seconds later when the man tried to enter the court, and this blast killed him, the governor said.

The incident came ahead of a G20 summit next Monday and Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro that will gather leaders from around the world. Among them will be US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

After that summit, Xi is scheduled to stay on, going to Brasilia for a state visit next Wednesday.

The convergence of the G20 leaders on Brazil has been accompanied by heightened security arrangements in the country, particularly in Rio.

Judges evacuated

The Supreme Court said in a statement that two loud explosions rang out at the end of Wednesday’s session and that the judges were safely evacuated.

The court is located in the Praca dos Tres Poderes, which also fronts onto the presidential palace and the Congress. 

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was not in the palace at the time of the explosions, a spokesman said.

The presidential palace was sealed off and a large police contingent deployed around the plaza. 

An AFP photographer in the area said the zone was locked down as heavy rain fell.

Federal police said they had opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the blasts and any possible motive.

Police who had been patrolling the area noticed the car on fire and saw the man leaving the vehicle, said Sergeant Rodrigo Santos of the capital’s military police.

A government employee in the capital, Laiana Costa, told local media said she saw the man go by and “then there was a noise, and I looked back and there was fire and smoke coming out,” and security guards from the court rushing up.

The same area was the scene of high drama last year.

On January 8, 2023, the seats of power in Brasilia were hit by an insurrection a week after President Lula defeated the right-wing incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro at the polls.

Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters angry over his defeat stormed the government buildings, causing major damage before authorities managed to reimpose control.

The head of Brazil’s Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, said that rioting prompted “a change in security rules” for the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro protesting against judge Alexandre de Moraes, who ordered the suspension of X, in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 7.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The story so far: Brazil’s Supreme Court on August 30 ordered the “immediate, complete and total suspension of X’s operations” in the country. Justice Alexandre de Moraes took the decision after X failed to appoint a legal representative in Brazil within the stipulated time. Mr. Moraes also ordered that anyone found accessing X using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) would have to pay a fine of 50,000 reals per day.

Also Read: Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes suspends Elon Musk’s X platform after it refuses to name a legal representative

What is the background?

For nearly two years, Mr. Moraes has been probing what he calls “digital militias” — far-right groups and backers of Brazil’s erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro. When Mr. Bolsonaro lost the 2022 elections, these groups used X and other platforms to cast doubt on the integrity of the elections and incite violence, leading to the January 8, 2023 riots in the capital Brasilia when Bolsonaro’s supporters attacked federal buildings, including the Supreme Court, with the aim of triggering a military coup. The Court viewed this as a direct attack on Brazilian democracy and asked Mr. Moraes to investigate it. As his probe progressed, Mr. Moraes ordered X to suspend scores of accounts for spreading disinformation and hand over information about them, including IP addresses, to aid in prosecution.

What was X’s response?

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, refused to comply with Mr. Moraes’s demands, and even said that accounts suspended earlier would be reactivated. In April, Mr. Moraes responded by bringing Mr. Musk under the purview of his investigation, triggering a public arm wrestle with the billionaire tycoon.

Also Read: How Elon Musk’s X could be suspended by one Brazilian judge in the coming hours

X also claimed that Mr. Moraes had threatened its legal representative in Brazil with arrest and ordered a daily fine of 20,000 reals ($3,580) for non-compliance. On August 17, Musk announced on X that rather than comply with the judicial orders, he had decided “to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately.” While X’s offices were shut down, its services remained available in the country. In the face of X’s continued defiance, and as the fines remained unpaid, Mr. Moraes gave an ultimatum of 24 hours for X to appoint a legal representative — a requirement for any company operating in Brazil. X ignored this demand, and once the deadline passed, Mr. Moraes ordered suspension of X until all court orders are complied.

What are the implications?

The refusal by X, a foreign company in Brazil, to obey local laws have raised important questions about regulatory sovereignty, the right mechanisms for curbing disinformation, free speech rights versus censorship, and cross-border internet governance. It has also flagged how social media can be weaponised for political purposes — with earlier Facebook in the U.S., and now X in Brazil coming under investigations for promoting incendiary far-right disinformation. Analysts have pointed out the Brazilian case is more complicated by the fact that X’s owner, Elon Musk, has not only aligned himself with one political faction and politician, Mr. Bolsonaro, but has also been posting vituperative remarks against one of the country’s top judicial officers.

Within Brazil, one stream of thought, especially on the right, considers Mr. Moraes’ orders as an instance of judicial overreach. Others have acknowledged that his actions stem from a broad interpretation of judicial powers rather than specific legal provisions. But they believe that his draconian measures were required at a time when other institutions have failed to counter the serious attacks on Brazilian democracy.

How has the order panned out so far?

Starlink, another Musk-owned company that provides satellite internet service in large parts of Brazil, initially refused to block X, but caved in subsequently after the Supreme Court ordered its bank accounts to be frozen. Clearing the air on whether the ban was an individualistic act of one radical judge, five justices of the Supreme Court have voted to endorse the ban. As for ordinary Brazilians, a great number of them migrated to Bluesky, which claimed that it had gained 2.6 million new users within five days of X going offline. Most users and analysts, however, consider the fine of 50,000 reals for accessing X via VPN excessive.

Elon Musk’s social media giant X has clashed with Justice Alexandre de Moraes (in picture) over its reluctance to comply with orders to block users. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the suspension of Elon Musk’s social media giant X in Brazil after the tech billionaire refused to name a legal representative in the country, according to a copy of the decision seen by The Associated Press. The move on Friday (August 30, 2024) further escalates the monthslong feud between the two men over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes had warned Mr. Musk on Wednesday (August 28, 2024) night that X could be blocked in Brazil if he failed to comply with his order to name a representative, and established a 24-hour deadline. The company hasn’t had a representative in the country since earlier this month. Mr. De Moraes said the platform would remain blocked until it complies.

Brazil is an important market for X, which has struggled with the loss of advertisers since Mr. Musk purchased the former Twitter in 2022. Market research group Emarketer says some 40 million Brazilians, roughly one-fifth of the population, access X at least once per month.

X had posted on its official Global Government Affairs page late on Thursday that it expected X to be shut down by Mr. de Moraes, “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents”.

“When we attempted to defend ourselves in court, Judge de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment. Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts,” the company wrote. “Our challenges against his manifestly illegal actions were either dismissed or ignored. Judge de Moraes’ colleagues on the Supreme Court are either unwilling or unable to stand up to him.” X has clashed with Mr. de Moraes over its reluctance to comply with orders to block users.

Accounts that the platform previously has shut down on Brazilian orders include lawmakers affiliated with former President Jair Bolsonaro’s right-wing party and activists accused of undermining Brazilian democracy.

Mr. Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist”, has repeatedly claimed the justice’s actions amount to censorship, and his argument has been echoed by Brazil’s political right. He has often insulted Mr. de Moraes on his platform, characterising him as a dictator and tyrant.

Mr. De Moraes’ defenders have said his actions aimed at X have been lawful, supported by most of the court’s full Bench and have served to protect democracy at a time in which it is imperilled. His order on Friday is based on Brazilian law requiring foreign companies to have representation in the country so they can be notified when there are legal cases against them.

Given that operators are aware of the widely publicised standoff and their obligation to comply with an order from Mr. de Moraes, plus the fact doing so isn’t complicated, X could be offline as early as 12 hours after receiving their instructions, said Luca Belli, coordinator of the Technology and Society Centre at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro:

X owner Elon Musk on Sunday called for the resignation or removal of a Brazilian Supreme Court justice whom the billionaire entrepreneur accused of censorship for blocking accounts suspected of spreading disinformation.

“This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached,” Tesla and SpaceX boss Musk said of Alexandre de Moraes.

Beginning Saturday evening, Musk took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter which he purchased in 2022, to launch a series of attacks against the justice.

As a result of Moraes threatening to “cut off access” to the platform, “we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there,” Musk posted.

“But principles matter more than profit.” 

A divisive judicial figure — tyrannical to some and a fervent defender of democracy to others — Moraes is one of the 11 members on Brazil’s high court. He also presides over the country’s Superior Electoral Tribunal, or TSE.

Critics, now including Musk, have said Moraes is part of a sweeping crackdown against free speech in Brazil.

Moraes has spearheaded the battle against disinformation in Brazil. In recent years he has ordered the blocking of accounts of influential figures on social networks, most of them supporters of Jair Bolsonaro.

In 2023 the far-right former president was declared ineligible to run for office by the Moraes-led TSE, for disseminating false information about Brazil’s electoral system.

Bolsonaro is also being investigated over an attempted coup to prevent his 2022 electoral defeat against the current leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, after a crowd of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the headquarters of the country’s three branches of power in Brasilia.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Elon Musk is challenging a decision by a Supreme Court justice in Brazil who ordered his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to block certain accounts, and he called on Sunday for the judge’s resignation.

“This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached. Shame @Alexandre, shame,” Musk posted on X.

In an earlier post, Musk said X was lifting all the restrictions decided by Justice Alexandre de Moraes on certain undisclosed accounts in Brazil and would publish details of the order despite the judge’s prohibition on doing so.

“This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil,” Musk posted on Saturday evening. “As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit.”

Musk promised to legally challenge the order where possible.

Brazil’s solicitor general, Jorge Messias, criticized Musk’s decision and called for regulation of social media networks to prevent foreign platforms from violating Brazilian laws.

“We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities,” Messias said in a post on X.

X Corp had been “forced by court decisions” to block certain popular accounts in Brazil and was prohibited from giving details of the order or which judge issued it, the company said in a statement. It said X was threatened with daily fines if it failed to comply.

Musk said the blocking order was unconstitutional.

“The people of Brazil, regardless of their political beliefs, are entitled to freedom of speech, due process, and transparency from their own authorities,” he posted.

A spokesperson for the Supreme Court said the court had no comment on the matter for now.

Moraes, who is leading an investigation into an alleged coup attempt by former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, is one of the Supreme Court justices most active in combating online misinformation in Brazil.

Last year, Moraes also ordered an investigation into executives at social messaging platform Telegram and Alphabet’s Google, who were in charge of a campaign criticizing a proposed internet regulation bill.

The bill put the onus on internet companies, search engines and social messaging services to find and report illegal material, instead of leaving it to the courts, and to charge hefty fines for failures to do so.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)