RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Brazil’s first lady, Janja Lula da Silva, swore at billionaire Elon Musk during a G20 social event on Saturday at which she spoke about the need to regulate social media to rein in misinformation.
A ship’s horn sounded as she spoke and she joked, “I think it’s Elon Musk,” before adding, “I’m not afraid of you,” and using an expletive in reference to him.
Musk, owner of social network X, reacted to a video of her remarks by posting a laughing out loud emoji graphic. In another post, he added, “They are going to lose the next election,” in a reference to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The president’s wife spoke at an event ahead of the Rio de Janeiro summit of the G20 group of largest nations set for Monday and Tuesday.
Musk’s social messaging network was suspended in Brazil for a month this year for failing to name a legal representative in the country and ignoring court orders to block accounts accused of spreading “fake news” and hate messages.
(Reporting by Patricia Vilas Boas; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brazil’s first lady Lula da Silva insults Elon Musk at global summit
