Coronavirus In Brazil: President Bolsonaro Sees Weakening Support Due To Handling Of Outbreak
A poll released Tuesday by Brazil’s National Confederation of Transport (CNT) and conducted by polling institute MDA shows support for President Jair Bolsonaro dropping due to his handling of the country’s coronavirus outbreak. Brazil has become a global hotspot for the virus under Bolsonaro’s leadership.
The CNT/MDA survey revealed 43.4% of respondents view the government as “bad or awful,” an increase from 31% in a January poll. Only 32% of respondents saw the government as “good” or “great,” down from 34.5% in the previous survey.
Bolsonaro’s approval rating in the survey stood at 39.2%, compared to 47.8% earlier in the year. Brazilians have been outraged by Bolsonaro’s response to the virus, which involved him downplaying the virus as a “little flu” in the early stages of the outbreak.
Bolsonaro has derided shutdown measures to prevent the spread of the virus, firing Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, one of the country’s biggest proponents of social distancing, in mid-April. On April 20, Bolsonaro joined supporters in a protest against social distancing measures.
Amid the outbreak, Bolsonaro also faces a political crisis that could possibly culminate in his impeachment.
Justice Minister Sergio Moro quit his position in April after accusing Bolsonaro of trying to interfere in police investigations, due to Bolsonaro’s decision to fire Brazil’s top police officer. Moro is a popular figure in Brazil, with citizens around the country having banged pots and pans to denounce Bolsonaro after Moro’s resignation.
Moro previously served 22 years as a federal judge and presided over the country’s “Operation Car Wash” corruption probe from March 2014 to November 2018. Bolsonaro has called Moro a “liar” due to the allegations, but Brazil’s Supreme Court has authorized an investigation into the matter.
As of Tuesday at 2:20 p.m. ET, Brazil has 172,243 coronavirus cases and 11,980 deaths.
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