Brazil’s First Lady Janja Lula da Silva ignited controversy at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday with an expletive-laden remark directed at tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Her comment, made during a panel on disinformation and social media regulation, has drawn sharp criticism from political figures and sparked concerns about potential diplomatic fallout.

As the sound of a ship’s horn interrupted the panel discussion, da Silva quipped, “I think it’s Elon Musk. I’m not afraid of you, f–k you, Elon Musk.”

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Her statement appeared to reference ongoing tensions between Musk and Brazil’s Supreme Court regarding free speech on Musk’s platform, X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier this year, X faced a three-month ban in Brazil due to allegations that it facilitated the spread of disinformation.

This dispute stemmed from the platform’s refusal to moderate content related to Brazil’s 2022 presidential election, which saw President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly defeat his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.

Da Silva’s remarks quickly drew criticism from opposition figures and social media users.

Former President Jair Bolsonaro weighed in on X, stating, “We now have another diplomatic problem.”

Conservative federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira shared a video of the incident, calling it an example of the “tolerant left.”

Janja da Silva, Lula’s wife, just said “fuck you, @elonmusk” during the G20 Social panel. This is the “tolerant” left. pic.twitter.com/lphpxHiFgb

— Nikolas Ferreira (@nikolas_dm) November 16, 2024

Musk responded by responding to the video with laughing emojis, adding, “They will lose the next election.”

🤣🤣

They will lose the next election

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2024

Supporters of da Silva defended her comments, including Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture Paulo Teixeira, who posted on X, “The truth is that @janjaLula said what was stuck in our throats. This reflects the sentiment about Elon Musk and his negative interference in international politics.”

Hello, Mr. Musk! Take a look, please: The Minister of Communication of the Brazilian government endorses what the First Lady said yesterday:
“The truth is that @JanjaLula said what was stuck in our throats. This reflects the sentiment about Elon Musk and his negative interference… pic.twitter.com/qVylOSRT4m

— @Protest_A 🇧🇷 🇵🇹 🇮🇱 (@Protest_A) November 17, 2024

Social media influencer Felipe Neto echoed the sentiment, reposting the expletive to his 17.1 million followers.

The feud between Musk and Brazil’s government began in August when Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes banned X in the country.

Moraes accused the platform of enabling the spread of misinformation about the 2022 election and its aftermath, during which Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in January 2023.

Musk publicly criticized Moraes, calling him an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge” and accusing him of undermining democracy.

I keep telling people that this guy @alexandre is the dictator of Brazil, NOT a judge. He just wears that as a costume.

He has supreme executive, judicial and legislative power, aka dictator.

The cloak he wears is to trick fools in the West into thinking that he’s a judge. https://t.co/tCgU2WnB6m

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 31, 2024

However, Musk later agreed to comply with Brazilian court orders, pay a $5 million fine, and appoint an X representative in the country.

By October, X’s ban was lifted, with the platform’s Global Government Affairs Department releasing a statement emphasizing its commitment to freedom of speech within legal boundaries.

The incident has raised concerns about potential diplomatic consequences, particularly as Brazil seeks to navigate its role on the global stage at the G20.

According to Brazil’s Folha de São Paulo, some diplomats fear that da Silva’s comments could hinder relations with President-elect Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei, a Trump ally and friend of Musk.

While President Lula attempted to downplay the controversy, stating, “This is a campaign where we don’t need to offend anyone,” criticism of the First Lady’s public outburst persisted.

As world leaders continue discussions at the G20, the fallout from da Silva’s remarks serves as a reminder of the delicate balance required in global diplomacy and the far-reaching impact of political rhetoric.