Brazilian people protest against the President handling of Covid-19

Thousands of protestors march against the impeachment of President Jair Bolsonaro because of his poor handling of covid-19. In view of protests in Brazil, some cities have withdrawn increased public transport fares. Clashes between protesters and police are reported in the latest round of anti-government protests in Brazil over corruption and demands for reforms in public services.

Thousands of people rallied in Rio de Janeiro. Police released tear gas shells to disperse the protesters gathered outside the city’s city hall. About three lakh people are participating in anti-government demonstrations here. Rio’s assembly building, the governor’s office, and the city’s mayor’s office have been sealed by officials. In the capital Brasilia, protesters set a fire outside the Foreign Ministry gate. The police removed them from there by firing rubber bullets and releasing tear gas shells.

Why are people protesting?

Protests have taken place across Brazil in a bid to demand the impeachment of President Jair Bolsonaro over his management of the COVID-19 crisis. These people are protesting on corruption, public services, and some other matters. Because of this, President Dilma Rousseff had to cancel her trip to Japan next week. According to The Guardian, thousands of people gathered in front of Congress in the capital, Brasilia, and called for the president’s impeachment and demanded more vaccines.

Continuing demonstrations began after officials in the two largest cities Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo announced that they were withdrawing the decision to increase public transport fares. Protesters are angry with corruption and poor public facilities and spending on preparations for next year’s Football World Cup. They say that the government should also invest in education and health services.

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No effect on protesters

Protestors blamed the far-right president for trivializing the coronavirus as a “little flu” and sabotaging containment efforts such as social distancing or lockdowns. Protesters were seen in at least 16 cities, brandishing placards such as “Out with Bolsonaro” and “Impeachment now.” People are so angry with the system of this country, so tired that they now want change.

Police fired tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse more than 30,000 people in the northeastern city of Fortaleza on Wednesday. Clashes broke out when police stopped a protest. Several people including police officers were injured. The recent protests are the biggest since 1992. Then people took to the streets demanding the impeachment of then-President Fernando Collor de Mello.

Jair Bolsonaro failed at handling the Covid-19 crisis

Brazil has registered nearly 460,000 deaths and it has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases at more than 16 million. The president has dismissed the notion of wearing a mask, encouraged mass gatherings, and cast doubt over the importance of vaccines. The country’s Senate is already holding an inquiry into his government’s handling of the pandemic and the slow roll-out of the vaccine program.

As per reports, opposition parties, trade unions, and social movements accuse the Brazilian President of stalling the programmer and disregarding the consequences. The protests were organized by leftist political parties, unions, and student associations. One of the themes of Saturday’s rally was how many lives could have been saved if the Bosonaro government had launched Brazil’s vaccination campaign earlier. The vaccination campaign is slow.

Why do people of Brazil think Jair Bolsonaro is a threat to the country?

Brazil’s President Jair Bosonaro, who has been in controversy for making anti-women, anti-gay statements, and supporting torture, was in the news in June last year for manipulating coronavirus statistics. He had removed the data collected about the people infected with the coronavirus in the country. He had earlier been reducing the risks of the coronavirus and estimating it.

He was also in controversy over the statement on lockdown. Despite being the President, he had also participated in the demonstrations against the lockdown in the country. This is the same Bosonaro who at the beginning of this epidemic called Corona ‘a little flu’ and called it the minor flu. In April last year, he addressed and supported the protesters demanding the lifting of the lockdown in the country’s capital Brasilia. Though he has good relations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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