President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro (left) and billionaire Elon Musk. Photos: Andressa Anholete and Dimitrios Kambouris for The Met Museum/Vogue via Getty Images
Elon Musk met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday to discuss connectivity and other technology projects ahead of Brazil's election.
Why it matters: Musk traveled to Brazil as part of his satellite internet service Starlink's expansion in the region. The visit comes as Musk is increasingly engaged with global politicians, especially conservative leaders.
The big picture: The high-profile billionaire has made headlines recently for his bid to takeover Twitter and announcement that he will vote for Republicans.
- Brazil has been swept up in a growing misinformation crisis as the Oct. 2 election looms.
- Lawmakers and the courts have both expressed alarm that Bolsonaro is sowing distrust in the election.
- Brazilian Senate committee voted last year to approve a report recommending Bolsonaro be charged with a raft of criminal indictments, including crimes against humanity over his response to the pandemic.
What they're saying: Bolsonaro tweeted Friday that the two spoke about "connectivity, investments, innovation and the use of technology to reinforce the protection of the Amazon forest and the realization of Brazil's economic potential."
- Prior to the meeting, Musk had tweeted, "Super excited to be in Brazil for launch of Starlink for 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas & environmental monitoring of Amazon."
- Deforestation in the Amazon reached its highest annual rate in over a decade under Bolsonaro, according to AP.