The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, met on Friday with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to discuss connectivity and other projects in the Amazon.
The meeting took It took place in a luxurious hotel in the state of São Paulo and was organized by the Minister of Communications Fábio Faria, who has said that he is seeking alliances with the richest man in the world to bring or improve the internet in schools and health centers in rural areas using technology developed by SpaceX and Starlink, and also to preserve the jungle.
“I am super excited to be in Brazil for the launch of Starlink for 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas and the environmental monitoring of the Amazon” Musk on Friday morning.
Illegal activities in the vast Amazon rainforest are monitored by various institutions, including the Brazilian Space Agency, the federal police, and the environmental regulator Ibama.
But deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has increased during the Bolsonaro presidency, reaching its highest annual rate in more than a decade, according to official data from the national space agency. The president’s critics say that he bears much of the blame, because he encouraged to the loggers and land grabbers with their fervent support for development in the region.
During the event, Bolsonaro pointed out that the region was “really important” for Brazil.
“We are counting on Elon Musk so that the Amazon is known by everyone in Brazil and in the world, to show the exuberance of this region, how we are preserving it and how much damage is done to us by those who they spread lies about this region & rdquo ; the president.
Bolsonaro and Musk appeared in a video that was broadcast live on the president’s Facebook account, standing together on a stage answering questions from a group of students.
“A lot can be done to improve the quality of life through technology,” Musk told those present.
Although none of the students asked Regarding the possible purchase of Twitter by Musk, Bolsonaro said that it represents a “breath of hope”.
“Freedom is the cement of the future,” The billionaire was a “legend of freedom.”
Musk has offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion, but this week he The deal cannot go ahead until the company provides information on how many accounts on the platform are spam or bots.
Like Musk, Bolsonaro has tried to position himself as He is a defender of freedom of expression and has opposed the expulsion of people from the platform, including his ally, former US President Donald Trump. It takes place just five months before the far-right leader seeks a second term in a highly anticipated election.