Covid-19 in Brazil: Bolsonaro furious after the opening of a commission of inquiry

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, March 31, 2021 in Brasilia.

AP - Eraldo Peres

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has reacted angrily to the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the conduct of his government since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the death toll approaches 350,000.

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With our correspondent in São Paulo,

Martin Bernard

The Brazilian president considers that the opening of a

parliamentary inquiry

is an affront.

Jair Bolsonaro went directly to Supreme Court judge Luiz Roberto Barroso, who ordered the Senate to open this investigation, to scrutinize government decisions since the start of the health crisis.

" 

Judicial activism

 "

The Head of State accuses the magistrate of lacking " 

moral courage

 " and of practicing " 

judicial activism

 ", in the service, he adds, of " 

political shenanigans

 ".

The president accuses the judiciary of interference in the affairs of parliament.

► To read also: Covid-19: more than 4,000 dead in 24 hours in Brazil, the pandemic seems out of control

The magistrate dodged these attacks, and ensured that he respected the constitution.

Jair Bolsonaro

estimated, at the end of 2020, that the pandemic was coming to an end.

But Brazil currently deplores 3,000 deaths per day on average.

Second most bereaved country in the world

The Brazilian president is still opposed to containment measures that could, according to specialists, help to unclog hospitals and reduce the number of victims.

With a death toll close to 350,000 as of April 10, according to data from

Johns-Hopkins University

, Brazil is the second most bereaved country in the world, behind the United States (561,000 dead) and ahead of Mexico (207 000 dead).

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  • Brazil

  • Jair Bolsonaro

  • Health and medicine

  • Coronavirus

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