A Brazilian judge overturned on appeal a judgment Tuesday that forced President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a mask in public, while the country is hit hard by the pandemic.
–Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly questioned the containment measures taken by the state governors of the country.
AFP
Brazilian magistrate Daniele Maranhao Costa agrees with the Advocate General of the Union (AGU), who represents the interests of the Brazilian state and exempts Jair Bolsonaro from wearing a mask in public.
The trial judgment had ordered Mr. Bolsonaro to wear a mask in public places under penalty of a fine of 2,000 reais (around 340 euros). The AGU argued that this judgment was not necessary, given that the wearing of the mask is already compulsory for all, by virtue of a decree, in the federal capital Brasilia.
On appeal, the AGU clarified that its action was in no way intended to exempt Mr. Bolsonaro from the obligation to wear a mask, but that the purpose was to ensure that the President was treated like any other citizen. .
59,594 dead
“The existence of a standard making the use of a protective mask mandatory” in Brasilia “eliminates the need for intervention by the judiciary to recognize the same obligation”, wrote the appeal judge in her judgment giving right to the AGU.
Since the first court decision, the head of state has been relatively discreet, with few public appearances. He nevertheless wore a mask on each outing to Brasilia. But last weekend he appeared in public without a mask in the state of Minas Gerais.
Previously, he frequently took a maskless crowd bath.
Last week, ex-Minister of Education Abraham Weintraub was fined 2,000 reais for meeting maskless pro-Bolsonaro activists in Brasilia.
Bolsonaro has continued to question the containment measures taken by the governors of the Brazilian states.
Brazil is the second country in the world most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with 1.4 million confirmed cases and 59,594 deaths, according to an official report published on Tuesday.
(AFP/NXP)
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