Prominent Brazilian conservative leaders who defended X (formerly Twitter) when it was banned in Brazil have not, at the time of writing, made any public statements regarding X's recent decision to ban the company. cave Regarding the request for censorship from the Supreme Court of the Federation (STF).
The STF is Brazil's highest court. The country's justice minister, Alexandre de Moraes, a self-described “anti-fake news” activist, said in a statement. Prohibited The notice was served on X in late August after the social media platform refused to comply with censorship orders against its users and appointed new legal representatives in the country.
Most of Brazil's opposition politicians especially Lawmakers from former President Jair Bolsonaro's conservative Liberal Party have condemned the ban of social media sites in Brazil and accused de Moraes of abusing his power. It is called His impeachmentThis is the kind of protest that President De Moraes has long faced, as he has persecuted conservative voices in the country.
Left-wing politician Praised De Moraes appealed the ban, arguing that the platform's suspension in Brazil was the result of “total irresponsibility” on the part of the platform's owner, Elon Musk.
About three weeks after the ban, X announced that it would comply with De Moraes' censorship court order. At the time of writing, neither Musk nor X's global government affairs team have publicly commented on the platform's decision. The decision is especially notable given that Musk had personally attacked De Moraes. compare To him Harry Potter He denounced the villain Voldemort and demanded his arrest.
Social media platforms too Returned Following a court order, Brazilian lawyer Rachel de Oliveira Vila Nova became the company's legal representative in the country. Reportedly I made a note The company allowed the lawyer to reinstate his work but requested additional documentation and gave the platforms five days to submit the necessary documents.
CNN Brazil Reported On Monday, X announced that it was preparing to formally ask De Moraes to reinstate the platform following the decision to comply with the censorship order.
CNN Brasil reported on Monday that X's legal team plans to submit documents to De Moraes, requesting that the ban on the platform be lifted, and to inform the judge that the platform has complied with all censorship requests, appointed new legal representatives, and paid all fines imposed.
Roberto Barroso, current president of the STF, said: said Brazilian left-wing newspapers Folha de San PaUro Barroso said on Saturday that Mr X would be “welcome home” if he complied with the law and court orders, he asserted during a panel within the framework of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York.
“Ideally, Company X would be welcomed back if it had representation in Brazil like any other company and was willing to comply with Brazilian law and the dictates of the Brazilian judicial system,” Barroso said.
“This is a case handled by another colleague. [de Moraes]”I don't want to comment on cases that are under the supervision of other colleagues,” he continued.
X's apparent caved in to De Moraes' censorship orders came roughly two weeks after Bolsonaro took office. Assembled On September 7, Brazil's Independence Day, about 45,000 Brazilians demonstrated peacefully in the city of São Paulo to defend freedom of speech in the face of increasing censorship under far-left President Luis Mohamed. Inacio Lula da Silva. The ban on X was one of several key issues addressed at the event.
Although Mr. de Moraes is no longer president of the STF or the High Electoral Court (TSE), Maintained open inquiry Since 2019, we have been taking measures against individuals and groups who spread “fake news.” another An investigation has been launched in Brazil to investigate “anti-democratic digital militias” that are allegedly spreading “fake news” and “threatening democracy.”
De Moraes used the two investigations to launch a broad censorship campaign against Brazilians, journalists and politicians who support Bolsonaro as part of his “crusade” against “fake news.” His actions have included ordering social media platforms like X, Facebook and YouTube to censor certain accounts, and calling on police to censor them. Raid For conservative people, censorship Bolsonaro's 2022 presidential campaign: A court has banned the campaign from describing Lula da Silva as a “thief” or a “criminal” in reference to Lula's multiple convictions on corruption charges. By a narrow margin He defeated Bolsonaro in a runoff election in October 2022.
Bolsonaro and His Family Multiple Raidprobe, and Indictment De Moraes approved. He also Banned The former president was barred from running for public office until 2030 after questioning the integrity of Brazil's 2022 electoral system. Ordered Bolsonaro will hand over his passport to local authorities, effectively confining himself to Brazilian soil.
Another notable target of De Moraes' censorship efforts is former congressman Daniel Silveira. In 2021, De Moraes Arrest He decided to dismiss the Supreme Court after Silveira, then a member of Brazil's Congress, posted an expletive-laced video on YouTube insulting the Supreme Court and its members.
In March 2022, Silveira rebelled against the STF after being ordered to wear an ankle monitor. Barricaded Bolsonaro himself in his office Pardoned Silveira revoked the amnesty shortly after the incident, but the STF eventually revoked it. May 2023.
De Moraes and Musk have been at odds throughout 2024 following Musk's refusal to comply with a Brazilian judge's censorship order to ban his account from the platform. In April, Musk Accused Judge De Moraes has been accused of fraud in Brazil's 2022 elections and there have been calls for his removal from office.
Brazilian Senator Marcos do Val's X account subject By order of De Moraes, issued public statement On Sunday, he reaffirmed his right to freedom of speech under the Brazilian Constitution and the immunities he is granted under Brazilian law as a member of parliament.
He said:
Understanding that I am politically persecuted, I would like to inform everyone, especially those in the judiciary, that in this post I reaffirm my rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. As a member of the National Assembly, I am protected by Article 53, which gives me the immunity to express my opinions and denounce misconduct in the exercise of my duties. In addition, as a Brazilian citizen, I invoke Articles 5 and 220, which guarantee freedom of expression and communication.
“These rights not only permit but also oblige me, as a senator of the Republic, to condemn any abuse or illegality I witness,” he continued, “but the reporting is being manipulated due to a lack of accurate information and the spread of distortions and lies, many of which are promoted by the head of the Federal Police.”
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan author documenting life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter. here.
