Brazil has become the global epicenter of COVID-19 infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The country has registered over one million cases and over 50,000 deaths. Experts say that the COVID-19 outbreak is the deadliest event in recent Brazilian history.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc upon the Latin American nation, many are criticizing the way the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been handling the delicate situation.
Bolsonaro has continuously expressed negative opinions regarding the practice of social distancing. According to Reuters, Bolsonaro has referred to the practice encouraged by health officials around the world as a “job-killing measure more dangerous than the virus itself.”
The Brazilian president has also encouraged the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, two anti-malaria drugs whose efficacy against COVID-19 is still in question.
Two health ministers have left the post since April. Bolsonaro fired Luiz Henrique Mandetta for encouraging people to stay indoors and practice social distancing. Nelson Teich resigned after just a few weeks serving in the role.
Civilians took to the streets of Brazil to manifest their dissatisfaction with President Bolsonaro’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
According to Al Jazeera, thousands of frustrated Brazilians have protested in several cities, including Sao Paulo and Brasilia, against the Bolsonaro-led government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The protesters are marching, setting off flares, and banging drums.
Pro-Bolsonaro protests have also been happening on a smaller scale. These protests aim to put pressure on Brazil’s Supreme Court and Congress to ease the lockdown.
In the midst of rallies and a pandemic, COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire in Brazil.
