Rio de Janeiro -- Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla and SpaceX, met with Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's president on Friday to discuss connectivity as well as other projects in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.
The meeting was held at a luxury resort in Sao Paulo. It was organized by Fabio Faria, Communications Minister. He stated that he wants to form partnerships with the richest person in the world to improve internet access in schools and hospitals in rural areas, using Starlink and SpaceX technology, as well as to conserve the rainforest.
Musk tweeted Friday morning, "Super excited to launch Starlink for 19,000 schools in rural areas and environmental monitoring of Amazon."
SpaceX has launched over 2,400 Starlink internet relay stations. This is part of a global constellation of broadband satellites that provides relatively high-speed internet access to customers all around the globe. SpaceX is authorized to launch thousands of additional satellites.
Several institutions monitor illegal activities in the Amazon rainforest, including the federal police, the environmental regulator Ibama, and the national space agency. According to data from the Brazilian space agency, deforestation has increased in the Brazilian Amazon. It reached its highest annual rate for more than a decade.
Bolsonaro's critics claim that he is to blame for allowing land grabers and loggers to prosper in the region through his passionate support for its development. Bolsonaro was accused by the International Criminal Court of "crimes against humanity" in 2021 for his role in the destruction and destruction of the Amazon. This is the first case to link loss of life to deforestation.
Starlink launched in Brazil! 19,000 schools are still unconnected in rural areas. Environmental monitoring by Amazon is also a possibility.
Bolsonaro stated that the region was important to Brazil during the event.
He said, "We count on Elon Musk to make the Amazon known to everyone in Brazil and around the world to show the exuberance and preservation of it, as well as the harm done by those who spread lies about it."
Bolsonaro, Musk and a group students answered questions in a live video that was transmitted on President's Facebook page.
Musk stated to the crowd that technology can improve quality of life.
Bolsonaro stated that the purchase of Twitter by Musk was a "breath" of hope, even though none of the students inquired about it.
He said that freedom is the cement of the future and called the billionaire a "legend" of freedom.
Musk offered to purchase Twitter for $44 Billion, but this week said that the deal cannot proceed until Musk provides details about the number of accounts that are spammed or bots.
Bolsonaro, like Musk, has tried to present himself as a champion for free speech and opposed deplatforming individuals, including his ally, ex-US President Donald Trump.
Musk stated last week that Trump will be allowed back on Twitter if Tesla chief competitor completes his contract for the company. Trump was removed from social media sites three days after the attack on the Capitol. This was due to "the risk of further violence incitement."
Bolsonaro will meet with Bolsonaro just five months before he seeks a second term in an eagerly awaited election.
