PayPal blocks Olavo de Carvalho in latest blow for far-right ideologue

The Virginia based ex-astrologist and self-defined philosopher Olavo de Carvalho is widely regarded as the ideological guru of Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. However, his influence may be waning, as exemplified by a recent move by money transfer app PayPal to block Mr. Carvalho’s account.

PayPal decided to drop the far-right eccentric after a campaign led by Sleeping Giants Brazil, a social media pressure group that aims to persuade companies to remove advertisements from right-wing media outlets publishing misinformation online. The campaign also demanded that Brazilian payments app PagSeguro close his account. At the time of writing, the company has yet to respond. In a typical move in response to his ban, Mr. Carvalho accused PayPal of being communists.

PayPal’s decision to close his account is the latest setback for Mr. Carvalho and his allies. Brazil’s Supreme Court has been progressively cracking down on a ‘fake news network’ involving supporters of President Bolsonaro and ‘disciples’ of Mr. Carvalho. Last week, one of the most prominent pro-Bolsonaro online activists Allan dos Santos fled to Mexico, allegedly to avoid prosecution for spreading disinformation. Meanwhile, Mr. Carvalho has spent the last few weeks levelling homophobic abuse at the popular YouTuber and vocal Bolsonaro critic, Felipe Neto.

Who is Olavo de Carvalho?

Aged 73, Olavo de Carvalho has already lived several lives, from his years as a communist, to leading an Islam-inspired cult, to becoming possibly the most influential ‘intellectual’ of Brazil’s new right-wing. Mr. Carvalho is the author of numerous books, including...