RIO DEL JANAIRO, Brazil. Brazil’s First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, stirred up a storm of reactions after swearing at billionaire Elon Musk during a G20 social gathering on Saturday. The event, held ahead of the upcoming G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, was centered on discussions about regulating social media to combat misinformation.
While addressing the audience, a ship’s horn interrupted her speech, prompting her to joke, “I think it’s Elon Musk,” followed by the remark, “I’m not afraid of you, fuck you, Elon Musk.”
The comment quickly went viral after Musk, owner of the social media platform X, reacted by sharing a laughing emoji graphic on his platform. He later posted another statement saying, “They are going to lose the next election,” in an apparent reference to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, her husband.
Janja’s speech came against the backdrop of Brazil’s recent efforts to hold social media platforms accountable for spreading misinformation. Musk’s platform, X, has faced scrutiny in Brazil, including a one-month suspension earlier this year for non-compliance with local laws. Authorities accused the platform of failing to designate a legal representative in the country and ignoring court orders to take down accounts disseminating “fake news” and hate messages.
The G20 summit, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, is expected to address key global challenges, with digital governance and misinformation regulation high on the agenda.
As the controversy unfolds, Musk’s terse online reactions and Janja’s bold statement have fueled debate over the growing influence of tech magnates and the responsibility of governments in regulating digital platforms.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
