SpaceX has evacuated employees from Brazil and warned against traveling to the country, as Elon Musk’s ongoing legal battle with Brazil’s highest court extends to his other businesses.
According to sources familiar with the matter, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell sent an email late last week advising employees not to travel to Brazil for work or leisure, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The company has also relocated its small group of non-Brazilian employees from the country, according to one source.
The move comes as Musk continues his months-long conflict with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has ordered X, Musk’s social media platform, to remove several accounts accused of spreading hate speech and misinformation.
In August, X shut down its operations in Brazil, citing the need to protect its staff’s safety amid the legal tensions.
Last week, Brazil’s highest court banned X, stating that the platform would remain blocked until it complied with legal requirements, including paying outstanding fines and appointing a legal director in the country.
The court also targeted SpaceX’s Starlink, ordering its finances in Brazil to be frozen and prohibiting any further financial transactions, according to a statement from the satellite provider on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Starlink posted on X, stating that it was doing everything possible to maintain connectivity for its Brazilian customers. The company also announced it had initiated legal proceedings before the Brazilian Supreme Court, describing the order against it as illegal.
Meanwhile, Starlink confirmed it would comply with a separate ruling requiring it to block access to X in Brazil.
