Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday appealed a judge’s decision to wear a face mask in public due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In his appeal, the Advocate General of the Union (AGU), which represents the interests of the Brazilian state, argues that the judgment given Monday by the magistrate Renato Borelli was “not necessary», The wearing of the mask having already been made compulsory by decree in the Federal District of Brasilia. This magistrate had considered admissible the request of a lawyer criticizing the “irresponsible conduct of the president“Against the coronavirus, which he minimized and qualified as”little flu».
340 euros fine
If he does not wear a mask in a public place, Jair Bolsonaro is liable to a fine of 2,000 reais (around 340 euros), stipulated the judge. Since this judicial decision, the Head of State has been relatively discreet, with few public appearances. He nevertheless wore a mask every time, including outside Brasilia, like Friday in Ceara (northeast), where he inaugurated a section of canal on the Sao Francisco river.
The AGU clarified that this action was in no way intended to exempt Jair Bolsonaro from the obligation to wear a mask, but that the purpose was to ensure that the President was treated like any other citizen. «The rule requiring the wearing of a mask already exists in the Federal District. This interference by the judiciary was not necessary“An AGU spokesperson told AFP.
Previously, Jair Bolsonaro often went to meet his supporters for crowd bathing, most of the time without wearing a mask. Last week, ex-Minister of Education Abraham Weintraub was fined 2,000 reais for meeting maskless pro-Bolsonaro activists in Brasilia.
President Bolsonaro has had very tense relations with the judiciary in recent months, notably with the Supreme Court, which authorized the opening of an investigation against him for interference in police investigations targeting his relatives. But he adopted a less belligerent tone for a week, advocating in particular the “peace“And the”tranquility»Thursday, at a solemn ceremony in the presence of many officials of the judiciary.
See also – Coronavirus: in Brazil, the strategy of denial
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