Rio de Janeiro (AFP)
One hundred graves were symbolically dug by an NGO on Copacabana Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, to pay tribute to the thousands of Brazilians who died in Covid-19 and to denounce the "incompetence" of the public authorities in the face of the pandemic.
The graves were aligned in a dozen rows in front of the iconic Copacabana Palace hotel and black crosses decorated with small Brazilian flags were planted in the sand.
"The objective is to protest against the succession of errors committed by the federal government in the management of the humanitarian crisis that Brazil is enduring," explained the NGO Rio de Paz on Twitter.
The visual effect recalls the images of cemeteries submerged in many cities of this country, where tombs are dug hastily because of the pandemic, in particular in Manaus (north).
"We have reproduced here, on the postcard decor of Rio, what we see in our cemeteries. Thousands of people have been buried in graves dug on the ground," Antonio Carlos Costa told AFP. the president of the NGO.
"We are here to demand a change in attitude from the President of the Republic, who must understand that our nation is facing the most difficult moment in its history. This pandemic has exacerbated social injustices and the incompetence of public authorities", he adds.
Far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the scale of the pandemic, calling the Covid-19 "a little flu".
He continues to advocate the resumption of economic activities while the contamination curve remains on the rise, with nearly 40,000 dead and more than 770,000 people infected.
On Copacabana beach, a supporter of Jair Bolsonaro tore off some of the crosses, while others insulted members of the NGO.
A video posted by Rio de Paz on Twitter later shows a father whose son died at 25 years of this disease put the cross back in place, shouting "respect our pain!".
© 2020 AFP