Starlink in Brazil: Elon Musk Announces Major Move to Help 19,000 Schools, Protect Amazon

Elon Musk traveled to Brazil on Friday to talk about Starlink connectivity with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and projects to protect the Amazon rainforest.

Forbes reported that the Brazilian president described Musk's proposal to purchase Twitter at $44 billion as "a breath of hope."

Fábio Faria, Brazil's minister of communications, said he spoke to Musk and invited him to talk about Internet connectivity in rural areas and ways to monitor deforestation and preserve the Amazon.

Musk tweeted that he was "excited" to be in Brazil for the "launch of Starlink," which would allow 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas to have access to the internet.

He added that he went to Brazil for the environmental monitoring of the Amazon.

Elon Musk in Brazil

Elon Musk was in an event at an upscale hotel in the countryside near Sao Paolo, with company business leaders such as Telecom Italia Chief Executive Pietro Labriola and Banco BTG Pactual Chairman Andre Esteves.

Citing flight-tracking websites, CNBC News reported that Musk's Gulfstream jet departed Texas and landed at the Catarina Executive Airport west of Sao Paulo on Friday morning.

Musk met with Bolsonaro after saying earlier that he voted for Democrats but will now vote for Republicans. Bolsonaro was a key ally of former President Donald Trump.

Bolsonaro was known to criticize major tech firms for their efforts to combat misinformation on social media. However, he celebrated the news that Twitter accepted Musk's initial bid for the company.

The Brazilian president has also tried for years to lure Tesla to Brazil. Musk and Bolsonaro also discussed the Amazon, wherein the Brazilian president said the region was "really important" to Brazil.

Bolsonaro added that they "count on Elon Musk" so that the Amazon rainforest "is known by everyone in Brazil and in the world, "to show the exuberance of this region, how we are preserving it, and how much harm those who spread lies about this region are doing to us."

Musk's meeting with Bolsonaro occurred just five months before the far-right leader will seek a second term in the upcoming elections in Brazil, according to CBS News.

Starlink Brazil

The Brazilian government said in November that it was negotiating with SpaceX to secure satellite internet in the Amazon rainforest and ramp up detection of illegal deforestation.

According to France 24, Elon Musk's SpaceX company has placed thousands of Starlink satellites into orbit, with many more launches being eyed. The service has more than 100,000 subscribers worldwide.

Faria and Defense Minister Paulo Sergio Nogueira were reported to have attended the meeting between Musk and Bolsonaro, including 13 business leaders and bosses of the country's main telecommunications companies.

Meanwhile, SpaceX reportedly paid $250,000 in 2018 to settle sexual harassment allegations against Musk. According to court documents and emails, a SpaceX flight attendant reported that Musk "exposed his genitals" during a flight to London in 2016.

However, Musk dismissed the reporting as a "politically motivated hit piece." He further claimed that there was "a lot more to this story."

Elon Musk has an estimated net worth of $204.6 billion, making him the richest person globally.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Elon Musk Chega Ao Brasil Para Encontro Com Jair Bolsonaro | NOVO DIA - From CNN Brasil