The Workers' Party (PT), the ruling party of Brazil and the party of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, continues to post on X to promote its candidates in the upcoming elections despite a judicial order banning the platform in the country.
This week, Brazil implemented a nationwide ban on X, threatening fines of roughly $8,900 for individuals who access the platform via VPN. The decision followed Elon Musk's refusal to appoint a legal representative in Brazil and the closure of X's offices there. This comes after his previous legal representative fled the country rather than face arrest at the nation's highest court took aim at X, eventually outlawing it entirely.
X had stated on Thursday, prior to the ban, that they expected such a move by Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.” Despite the ban, the Workers' Party continued to promote its candidates on X. As journalist Glenn Greenwald pointed out, the party’s official account recently posted in support of a mayoral candidate.
Greenwald also pointed out a moment when the PT Brazil account on X called de Moraes a fascist when he was nominated to the Court back in 2017.
"I guess all it takes to be accepted as a racist and fascist is censoring the left's opponents," Greenwald remarked.
Musk, who has been in a heated dispute with Brazilian leadership since earlier this year, accused the judge who issued the ban of attempting to censor right-wing views and suppress free speech. Musk called de Moraes a “dictator and a fraud, not a justice” in one of many posts condemning the country’s decision to ban his platform.
Musk has continued to voice concern amid actions from countries like Brazil that "freedom of speech is under massive attack around the world."
