In recent years, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has become one of the highest-profile authorities in Brazil. He oversees some of the most consequential ongoing probes in the country — and led the electoral justice system during the most tumultuous election in Brazilian democratic history, during which members of the government at the time were plotting a coup d’état.
Justice Moraes successfully cornered a former president who sought to neuter democratic institutions, went after some of the most influential voices in the conservative spectrum, and pursued even military officers — akin to sacred cows against whom few dare to take action.
But by going after billionaire Elon Musk, Justice Moraes may be biting off more than he can chew.
Justice Moraes placed Mr. Musk under investigation for obstruction of justice, incitation of criminal activity, and the “willful criminal instrumentalization” of X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter — which Mr. Musk bought in 2022.
He also imposed a BRL 100,000 (USD 20,000) daily fine for every stance in which Mr. Musk disobeys a judicial order, such as rehabilitating accounts banned in Brazil.
Mr. Musk has taken the route many ultraconservatives have taken in recent years — and for which they were punished. He called Justice Moraes a dictator, said he interfered with the 2022 election in order to help President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva unseat former President Jair Bolsonaro, and called for the impeachment of Justice Moraes.
But Mr....
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