In the midst of the controversy over the exclusion of accounts linked to Donald Trump from digital platforms, President Jair Bolsonaro (without a party) lamented on Tuesday (12) what he called “the censorship of social networks”.
“My beloved press, you have never had as much freedom as in my government. You have never heard of my government in the social control of the media or the democratization of it,” the president said. , during a ceremony at the Palácio do Planalto to celebrate Caixa’s 160th anniversary. Federal Economic Commission.
“You have too much freedom, to spare. I regret the closure, the censorship of social media. They are not competing with you, no. One stimulates the other.”
Bolsonaro is a professional press critic and has previously called the media scoundrels and liars.
He did not quote Trump in his speech, but his condemnation of social media “censorship” comes amid intense debate over whether tech companies have decided to restrict the reach of accounts associated with the US leader.
The corporate action came after Trump on Jan.6 urged a crowd to march towards the US Congress in Washington on the grounds – without evidence – that the US election had been rigged.
Protesters overrun the US Legislature in a riot that clashed with security guards and left five dead. Members of the Democratic Party, which will return to power with Joe Biden’s nomination to the White House on Jan.20, are treating the episode as an attempted insurgency, which is why they are defending a second impeachment process against Trump.
Last week, for example, Twitter permanently banned Trump’s social media account. The argument used by the company is that the profile presented a risk of “more incitement to violence”. Other platforms have followed suit. Facebook has suspended the Republican from its network until at least Biden takes office.
The action of the social media giants drew strong complaints from conservative groups, including supporters of Bolsonaro.
Son of the president, MP Eduardo Bolsonaro (PSL-SP) changed his profile picture on Twitter to a Republican photo to protest against what he called the authoritative act of the social network.
Following the invasion of the US Congress, President Bolsonaro and Foreign Secretary Ernesto Araújo made sympathetic statements to Trump and his supporters. Bolsonaro said he was “tied to Trump” and that there had been “a lot of reports of fraud” in the US election. He also said that “we will have a worse problem than the United States” if Brazil does not institute the printed vote for 2022.
Ernesto, for his part, posted messages on Twitter in which he condemned the act, but said that it was necessary to “recognize that a large part of the American people feel assaulted and betrayed by their political class and are wary of the electoral process “. The chancellor also called the vandals “good citizens” and suggested “investigating the involvement of undercover elements” in the episode.
Trump’s suspension from social media is controversial and has raised questions even from Republican critics.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example, expressed concern over Twitter’s decision and said it was “problematic”. A spokesperson for the German leader stressed that the right to freedom of opinion was of “fundamental importance”.