Elon Musk has traveled to Brazil on Friday to discuss projects to protect the Amazon rainforest with President Jair Bolsonaro, ministers said, in a boost for the far-right leader who is facing increasing criticism at home and abroad for surging deforestation on his watch.
The visit by Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla chief executive who is in talks to buy social network Twitter, follows a meeting in November with Brazilian Communications Minister Fabio Faria. They spoke then about using SpaceX technology to bring the internet to rural schools and combat illegal deforestation.
Faria confirmed Musk’s visit “to discuss connectivity and protection of the Amazon” in a tweet on Friday and Bolsonaro’s chief of staff said the president himself would take part in the meeting. On Thursday, Bolsonaro spoke of an upcoming “meeting with an internationally recognized person coming to help our Amazon.”
Bolsonaro, who criticizes major tech firms for their efforts to combat misinformation on social media, celebrated the news that Twitter accepted Musk’s initial bid for the company. He has also tried for years to lure Tesla to Brazil, where the company lacks any retail presence.
