It was an irresistible photo-op for President Jair Bolsonaro: shaking hands with Elon Musk, the eccentric billionaire who had just launched a bid to buy Twitter.
The two met on May 20 at the upscale Fasano Hotel in Porto Feliz, roughly 100 kilometers from the city of São Paulo. But handshakes aside, Mr. Musk left Brazil empty-handed – unless you count the Defense Order of Merit medal he received from the president, an honor usually reserved for those who have served in the Armed Forces.
Mr. Musk did announce, however, that Starlink, one of his companies, would provide internet access to schools in remote areas of the Amazon.
But as The Brazilian Report has shown, Brazil’s telecoms watchdog Anatel announced Starlink’s authorization to provide services in Brazil until 2027 back in January of this year, two months after Mr. Musk met Communications Minister Fábio Faria in Austin, Texas. Mr. Musk’s announcement was nothing new.
Moreover, providing internet access to schools in remote areas of the Amazon is already part of the contractual obligations taken on by the winners of the government’s 5G auction last year, as the Communications Minister admits.
Mr. Faria, who is a lawmaker but took leave to join the cabinet, is the son-in-law of Brazilian television mogul Silvio Santos. According to Brazilian media, Mr. Faria could become Mr. Musk’s representative in Brazil once he leaves the government. He has announced he will not seek elected office in October, though declined to comment on rumors of future links to Mr. Musk.
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