Alexandre de Moraes: All about the judge who banned Elon Musk's X erstwhile Twitter in Brazil
Elon Musk, who is now fighting to maintain his social media platform X in one of the biggest democracies in the world, made the disparaging comparison to the Harry Potter character. It makes sense that Alexandre de Moraes would be compared to Voldemort given his dark, piercing gaze and shiny bald head. Mr.
de Moraes, 55, has been known as Big Alex or Xandão for years because of his self-made persona as a fighter against political disinformation and a champion of democracy.
Following a lengthy argument over misinformation with the richest man in the world, Mr. de Moraes, a justice of the Supreme Court, banned the app on Friday night. One of the most divisive personalities in Brazil, who is accused of flouting the law and keeping one eye on the presidential palace, has made this latest move in his rise to power.
Without specifically naming X, Mr.
de Moraes stated on Friday that those who violate democracy in turn violate fundamental human rights, whether in person or through social media, must be held accountable. In 2019, Mr. de Moraes gained widespread attention for spearheading an inquiry into fake news produced during the hard-right former president Jair Bolsonaro's administration.
Support for Mr. de Moraes as a defender of anything thought to pose a threat to Brazil's democratic institutions was garnered by that investigation, which is still ongoing. However, he has exerted so much pressure that some question whether he is going too far in abusing his power and jeopardizing Brazil's fledgling democracy rather than defending its principles.
