As coronavirus deaths surge in Brazil, calls for Bolsonaro’s impeachment intensify

On Sunday, the day Brazil hit the half-million mark in confirmed COVID-19 cases and inched closer to 30,000 deaths, President Jair Bolsonaro flew in a camouflaged military helicopter over a rally in the capital, Brasilia, waving to protesters who held banners calling for the closure of the country’s congress.

He landed and greeted supporters, shaking hands and carrying a young boy on his shoulders. The far-right leader then paraded on horseback, smiling at fans who chanted and waved signs urging the closing of the country’s Supreme Court. Bolsonaro didn’t wear a mask and neither did his fans, even as face coverings are mandatory in Brasilia.

As Brazil’s coronavirus crisis deepens, Bolsonaro continues to downplay the pandemic and attack his critics, igniting widespread pro-democracy movements that are fueling a push for his impeachment.

“The president cannot continue to put people’s lives at risk with his irresponsible handling of the COVID crisis,” Monica de Bolle, a Brazil specialist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, said on her YouTube channel. “We must find a solution to control a president who is a harmful force on many different levels; if impeachment is an option, we have a democratic system that offers that possibility.”

Brazil now has the third-highest number of deaths in the world due to COVID-19, after surpassing Italy on Thursday. Only the United States and the United Kingdom have tallied more fatalities. Yet several Brazilian states began reopening this week, hoping to reignite the economy and ease the catastrophic fallout from the pandemic.

Latin America’s largest economy reported 1,473 new deaths on Thursday, a record that brought the total toll to 34,072 according to the Brazilian Health Ministry. There were 30,925 new confirmed cases, pushing the country’s total to 614,941, behind only the U.S.

Bolsonaro didn’t address the data. Instead, he tweeted about public works and a phone conversation he had with President Donald Trump about the donation of 1,000 ventilators and 2 million doses of hydroxychloroquine, a controversial drug that Bolsonaro is touting as a miracle cure for COVID-19.

Infections nowhere near a peak

The data is underrepresented by a factor of at least 12, as a severe lack of testing capacity makes official numbers woefully incomplete, according to a study by the Center for Health Operations and Intelligence, a group of Brazilian universities and research institutes. And infections haven’t even reached a peak, according to the World Health Organization.

“At the moment it’s not possible to predict when it will arrive,” Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Emergencies Program, said during a media briefing on Monday.

While local and state authorities in the nation of 210 million have imposed social-distancing measures since mid-March, Bolsonaro has dismissed the efforts, often scolding governors and mayors for what he says is a useless campaign meant to destabilize his government. He scoffed at the virus, calling it a little flu, and has mingled with supporters pushing for the return of business as usual. Early last month, even as infection numbers exploded in major cities, Bolsonaro signed decrees authorizing the reopening of gyms, beauty salons and barbershops, which were quickly challenged by states and cities grappling with overwhelmed hospitals.

The former congressman’s argument is that the economic fallout from the lockdown is worse than the public health consequences of the pandemic. Bolsonaro’s guidance and the reactions to his decisions have led to a cacophony of advice and contradicting orders from municipal, state and federal leaders, which has weakened Brazil’s ability to slow the spread of the virus, de Bolle said.

More-vulnerable regions such as the poorer northeast, and the cities and indigenous territories in the Amazon, where public health systems have always been poor, are suffering the most. Shocking images of mass graves in Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas and gateway into the rainforest, underscored the “utter disaster” COVID-19 has caused, as Mayor Arthur Virgílio described it.

Social-distancing measures weren’t as effective there because local leaders waited too long to adopt them. A deeply underfunded public health system had already set the region up for failure: In May, Amazonas had only 392 functioning respirators and 1,138 beds at intensive care units across the vast state, which has a population of about 2 million, according to data from the state’s Health Secretariat.

The ‘Bolsonaro virus’

In São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s largest cities, local leaders imposed strict stay-at-home rules in March but struggled under pressure from large segments of the population barely surviving in informal jobs and who are unable to tap emergency aid programs.

São Paulo, Brazil’s financial center, tallied 7,000 new cases and 400 deaths between June 1 and 2, according to the health secretariat. Gov. João Doria imposed a statewide quarantine early on, but data suggests that only 47% of residents are abiding by it. Doria has blamed Bolsonaro’s disrespect for science and dismissal of the severity of the pandemic.

“We have two viruses to combat in Brazil — the coronavirus and the Bolsonaro virus,” Doria told CNN last week.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s main tourism destination, is home to hundreds of “favelas,” where thousands of people live in close quarters, often without access to proper sanitation or health services. Those conditions make social distancing nearly impossible. The city’s informal economy is another challenge, as millions aren’t registered in official social security channels and survive on gigs.

Bruno Dias, a ride-sharing driver and handyman, said he tried to stay home and respect the state-ordered quarantine for a while, but had to go back to work when money started to run out.

“I didn’t have a choice, because I’m not entitled to any benefits, not even the emergency checks from the government,” he said. “I understand there are risks but I am happy the city is reopening now. Hopefully I’ll be able to make some cash.”

Three crises in one

Rio’s mayor has defied state-mandated orders and vowed to reopen religious services, gyms and beaches this week.

But international public health experts have warned against reopening too fast.

“Think twice before lifting social-distancing measures,” said Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, during a media briefing on Tuesday, adding that countries like Brazil are home to “deep-rooted challenges that make stopping the virus complicated.”

And, as in much of Latin America, Brazil is facing three simultaneous emergencies: health, economic and social, which must be addressed together to stop COVID-19, Etienne said.

These emergencies seem to be coming to a head.

While Bolsonaro’s “so what?” response to Brazil’s rising death toll has angered critics, his alleged intention to interfere with a criminal investigation into his family and mounting attacks on the Supreme Court have triggered a recent wave of protests that are gaining traction.

Brazil’s intellectual elite, voices from across the political spectrum and soccer club fan clubs have joined forces to oppose Bolsonaro and “defend life, freedom and democracy.”

One movement called “We are together” urges Brazilians to leave their differences aside and work toward the greater good. The group bought full-page ads in the country’s top publications on Saturday and published a manifest in bold black letters against a bright yellow background, vowing to defend democratic values, the rule of law, tolerance and diversity, and the separation of powers.

Another loose movement called “We are 70%” has exploded on social media in the past few days. Eduardo Moreira, an economist who gives financial advice to 380,000 followers on YouTube, said if Bolsonaro’s approval rating is currently only 30%, then the remaining 70% must make their voices heard against the president’s irresponsible handling of the pandemic and attacks on democracy. A recent survey by polling institute Datafolha showed that only 33% of respondents considered Bolsonaro’s government good or great.

“This government burns a Brazilian flag every time it normalizes COVID deaths, every time it seeks to silence the press, and when it makes people spend the night waiting in line for an emergency aid check of 600 reais,” about $118, the former investment banker said.

Fake news probe

And as support for the president weakens, it appears that his attacks on the media and on law-enforcement agencies and courts are increasing.

His fury was on full display last week after the homes of important supporters were raided as part of a Supreme Court investigation into an alleged online network that distributes misinformation and carries out intimidation campaigns against political rivals and journalists masterminded by a group including two of his sons. Bolsonaro and his family deny all accusations in what has been called the “fake news” probe.

Earlier in May, a Supreme Court justice who is overseeing the investigation released a video of an April cabinet meeting cited as evidence that Bolsonaro was trying to interfere with the investigations to shield his allies and friends.

In the video, peppered with expletives and coarse language, the president said he had the right to replace officials who may be threatening his family or allies. His comments seemed to confirm claims from his ex-justice minister Sergio Moro that Bolsonaro sought to protect his family from the criminal investigation by meddling in leadership changes at the federal police.

“I’m not going to wait for them to f--- my whole family or my friends,” Bolsonaro said in the video. Nineteen of the president’s relatives are reportedly facing police scrutiny, including two sons. Bolsonaro has denied all allegations.

It remains to be seen how the recent developments and the growing wave of protests will play out in the push for Bolsonaro’s impeachment. Forty impeachment requests have been filed. Rodrigo Maia, speaker of the House in Brazil’s congress, said recently he will decide whether to open proceedings “at the appropriate time.”