X representative in Brazil leaves position after Musk criticizes Moraes

Heading the operations of X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil since June 2021, lawyer Diego de Lima Gualda resigned from his position on Monday (8). The information appears in the company’s registration form at the São Paulo Commercial Board, where the departure was made official on April 10, last Wednesday, after sending a letter of resignation, according to information published by the portal g1 and other press vehicles this Saturday (13).

According to his LinkedIn profile, Gualda was legal director at X and also works as a professor of Political Science, Legal Sociology and Digital Law.

Gualda’s resignation occurred days after billionaire Elon Musk intensified his criticism of Federal Supreme Court (STF) minister Alexandre de Moraes and even proposed his resignation or impeachment.

The day before registering the resignation, Moraes denied a request made by X in Brazil that sought to exempt the company from complying with local court decisions, arguing that it did not have decision-making power over the platform’s operations. The company requested that all legal responsibilities fall to X’s international headquarters.

In the decision, Moraes stated that X’s Brazilian subsidiary does have responsibility for judicial and administrative decisions related to the platform’s operation in Brazil. He classified the company’s request as “an abuse of legal personality”, indicating that the request would allow the company to avoid complying with Brazilian court orders without facing consequences.

Criticisms from Elon Musk, owner of X

Last week, Elon Musk intensified criticism of the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Federal Supreme Court minister Alexandre de Moraes. He threatened to reactivate user profiles blocked by Brazilian courts on X in relation to two investigations conducted by Moraes: one into digital militias and the other into the attempted coup on January 8.

Tensions between Musk and Moraes resulted in the businessman being included as an investigator in a new investigation, determined by the STF minister. Furthermore, Moraes ordered that X not disobey any order from the Brazilian Court and established a fine of R$100,000 for each profile irregularly reactivated. The minister justified Musk’s investigation by citing signs of obstruction of justice and incitement to crime in his recent statements and actions.