Bolsonaro declares coronavirus “public calamity”

Published on : 03/19/2020 – 07:03Modified : 03/19/2020 – 07:05

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Brazil has officially registered 3 deaths and nearly 300 confirmed cases. But the balance sheet should get heavier in the coming days, in a very tense political context, fueled by the far-right president.

With our correspondent in Sao Paulo, Martin Bernard

Jair Bolsonaro and 9 ministers all wore masks when presented to the press shortly after the decision to declare the state of ” public calamity ” until the end of the year.

Having minimized the severity of the crisis, Jair Bolsonaro wanted to show that he was now taking the situation seriously and acknowledged that the public health system was unable to counter the pandemic without massive investment.

However, the Brazilian president warned against any exaggeration: ” This is a serious question, but there is nothing to become hysterical about. Jair Bolsonaro further justified his presence at the political demonstrations this Sunday March 15, when he had not yet received the (negative) result of his screening test. He attacked the press, which found the behavior irresponsible.

Pan concert

Jair Bolsonaro’s popularity eroded during the coronavirus crisis. For the second consecutive evening, concerts of saucepans have been heard in major cities to protest against the far-right president. The latter immediately reacted by asking his activists to show their support by also hitting pots and pans.

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