COVID-19 is threatening to further destabilize democracy in Brazil, with mounting fears over President Bolsonaro’s response to the pandemic adding fuel to the fire of popular unrest.
On Sunday April 19th, Bolsonaro took to the streets and joined with protesters demanding a return to the type of military rule that external detractors perceive as having suffocated the country up until 1984. Echoing his previous condemnation of lockdown measures aimed at containing the virus, Bolsonaro addressed his supporters outside a military base in Brasília, delivering a short speech which urged an end to the lockdown measures still being upheld by the majority of Brazil’s state governors. Appealing to the assembled crowds, Bolsonaro insisted that the economic fallout of maintaining such measures would have an even graver impact than the potential medical cataclysm of COVID-19.
Within this climate of disconnect between the executive and federal government, local authorities have taken matters into their own hands, citing fears that the government’s response to the virus remains profoundly inadequate. With the country’s healthcare system on the verge of collapse, football stadiums have been converted into temporary hospitals and bulldozers are digging mass graves at cemeteries as bodies pile up in refrigerated trucks. All the while, Bolsonaro seems wrapped up in political posturing. In response to criticism that he is defying the constitution, he replied, “I am the constitution.” On Friday April 24th, the resignation of celebrity Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who accused the president of meddling in law enforcement, added to the mounting opposition Bolsonaro continues to face.
Indeed, President Bolsonaro’s flouting of social-distancing rules has been deemed shameful by myriad high-level individuals. Former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso tweeted that it was “deplorable for the president to join anti-democratic protests. It’s time to unite around the constitution against all threats to democracy.” Meanwhile, Rodrigo Maia, Congressional Speaker of The House, who has himself been attacked by the president’s supporters for backing social-isolation measures, said Brazil was enthralled in a dual fight against coronavirus “and the virus of authoritarianism”. Perhaps more surprisingly, some of Mr. Bolsonaro’s own cabal have denounced his comments, with one senior military official urging citizens to ignore the president’s actions.
The death toll in Brazil is headed towards 4,000, with almost 55,000 cases in total. But as numbers rise, the president’s attitude provides dangerous rhetoric for the way ahead. Although Bolsonaro’s economic concerns may be legitimate, with 21% of the population already living below the poverty line, prioritizing the economy over health is a dangerous gamble. In Brazil, 13 million people live in crowded favelas, where social distancing is almost impossible and basic sanitation is a distant luxury. Yes, people need to work, but the preservation of human life must take precedence, as ultimately it will be poor areas such as these that will be hardest hit if the virus spreads.
In the coming months, much of Brazil’s political landscape is likely to be defined by the impact of COVID-19. Although the nation’s death rate remains low in comparison to the U.S. and Europe, if fatalities increase rapidly, Bolsonaro’s divisive and undemocratic stance will represent, in congressman Maia’s words, an “unforgivable cruelty” for victims and their families. Conversely, if the economic impact of state-wide lockdown becomes profound, the president could stand to benefit from his opposition to self-isolation. Whatever happens, Brazil should aim to foster peace and unity over the coming months – not only for the sake of those most vulnerable to the virus, but so as to heal growing social division within Latin America’s largest country.
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