Bolsonaro may be the first political scalp of the Corona crisis

In the fifth largest country in the world, it is the influential governors who have taken the lead in the fight to curb the spread of the coronavirus. For example, the governors of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo have restricted travel between the states and forced shopping centers to close. But the measures have angered the president well.

Bolsonaro's reluctance to impose tough measures against the corona center is first and foremost about finances. He has promised his voters to lift Brazil financially and make the country a global superpower. And the president simply has a very hard time accepting that a small virus should put a stop to the grand plans. When there is now a recession - as everything suggests - Bolsonaro can argue that he constantly opposed the damaging measures that lowered the economy.

The governors promise to continue their actions, which they believe will be in accordance with the World Health Organization's recommendations. But Bolsonaro refuses to back down and continues to call the corona virus "a little cold". This week, the government launched a campaign with the message "O Brasil no pode parar" (Brazil must not stop). And Bolsonaro threatens the governors - many from the president's own coalition - by being forced to pay financial compensation for measures that slow the economy.

The confrontation within the state apparatus is increasing - now the justice system is calling on the government to stop its campaign against social distancing. There is probably no other head of state in the world who is currently as pressured by the Corona crisis as Brazil's president. But Bolsonaro is a champion of owning the political agenda and with his confrontational style he hopes to mobilize his loyal followers. And it seems to produce results.
Bolsonaro supporters openly show their opposition to the governors' actions by organizing public meetings and caravans around the country. And on Tuesday, demonstrations are planned to commemorate the anniversary of the 1964 military coup and as a protest against social distancing.

But the question is what the corona crisis does with Bolsonaro's support outside the hard core of followers who stand behind him regardless. A majority of the population disapproves of Bolsonaro for its handling of the corona virus and every night protests take place where people turn pots on windows and balconies.

It is even talked about that Bolsonaro could be deposed in a judicial process if he fails to deal with the corona crisis. The national court is political in Brazil and can become a reality if he loses his parliamentary support. Two of Brazil's four most recent presidents have been set aside prematurely through national law.

The lack of a united opposition may be Bolsonaro's rescue - no political force seems strong enough to propel a judicial process. But if the end of the corona crisis becomes disastrous, it can still end for the president. Forecasts speak of millions infected if Brazil does not take proper action. Concern is growing for the corona virus to take hold of poor areas characterized by shallowness and lack of clean water.

And now comes more and more initiatives from civil society. Brazil's largest football club Flamengo makes the legendary football stadium Maracanã available as a temporary hospital. And in several of Rio's shanty towns, the criminal gangs that control much of everyday life have gone out with calls to stay home and be careful about hygiene. They take matters into their own hands and try to fill the vacuum left by the state power.