Bolsonaro threatens he will sack health minister if he criticizes his approach to Covid19
4211 Min Read
Jair Bolsonaro has reportedly told his health minister he will sack him if he dares criticise his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
According to a report in the Estado de São Paulo newspaper, the Brazilian president’s warning came during a top-level meeting on Saturday as the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country rose to more than 3,900 and the death toll hit 114.
Bolsonaro’s approach to the Covid-19 saga was criticized on many levels because even as coronavirus cases mount in Latin America’s largest nation, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has staked out the most deliberately dismissive position of any major world leader, calling the pandemic a momentary, minor problem and saying strong measures to contain it are unnecessary.
Jair Bolsonaro has largely struggled to take it seriously. Going against his own health ministry’s advice earlier in March, and while awaiting the results of a second coronavirus test, he left self-isolation to join rallies against Congress.
Bolsonaro says his response to the disease matches that of President Donald Trump in the U.S., but the Brazilian leader has gone further, labeling the virus as “a little flu” and saying state governors’ aggressive measures to halt the disease were crimes.
