Despite Surge in COVID-19 Cases and Health Minister Vacancy... Brazilian President Appears at Protest

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil, appeared at a protest led by his supporters on the 17th (local time), ignoring the advice of health authorities despite the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Even as the number of confirmed cases surged, making Brazil the fourth highest country in the world the day before, he seemed to distance himself from lockdown measures to continue economic activities.

According to Bloomberg and other sources, President Bolsonaro expressed support for the protest held in front of the Presidential Palace in Brasilia that day. Wearing a white mask, he approached the protesters, waved his hand, smiled, and gave a thumbs-up. The participants conducted the protest in a festive atmosphere, beating drums and shouting, and chanted, "We want to work."

Through an online video, President Bolsonaro said, "Everyone wants freedom, wants democracy, and wants respect," expressing his hope that the Brazilian people will stimulate and operate the economy as soon as possible. Recent polls by Brazilian media showed that the majority agreed on the necessity of social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but he appears to maintain policies contrary to that.

Brazil has recently been experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases. According to statistics from Johns Hopkins University in the United States, Brazil currently has 240,307 confirmed cases and 16,091 deaths. It ranks fourth in the world in the number of COVID-19 cases, following the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 is attributed not only to President Bolsonaro's response but also to ongoing confusion caused by successive changes in the health minister. Luis Henrique Mandetta, who served as the Minister of Health since the beginning of the Bolsonaro administration last year, resigned on the 16th of last month, followed by his successor, Minister of Health Nelson Teich, who also resigned on the 15th. Both stepped down after conflicts with President Bolsonaro over COVID-19 response measures.

Meanwhile, former defense ministers strongly criticized Bolsonaro's supporters who, through rallies and protests, are calling for military intervention in politics. In a statement, the former defense ministers urged respect for constitutional order, saying, "The constitution stipulates that the military can only be requested to maintain order in a state of anarchy. Demands for political intervention must be ignored."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.