RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro said on Sunday, March 29th, that he is considering increasing the number of occupations that will be allowed to work regularly during the quarantine. He told reporters that this was an insight he had during his interview, granted outside the Alvorada Palace.
“I have the will, I have the means, I have the will: to issue a decree tomorrow. Any and every occupation, legally existing, or one that is casual, if required for the sustenance of children, to provide their milk, rice and beans, will be allowed to work,” said Bolsonaro.
“I had this insight, it gave me an idea and I said I’m considering issuing a decree to this end, to see if it fits. I think such a decree would help. The man’s going to mow lawns. If he doesn’t mow lawns, he can’t afford to buy milk, rice and beans for the kids, he’s going to mow lawns”.
Bolsonaro also said he will appeal the court ruling that barred the operation of lottery houses. “A war of injunctions is about to start,” he said.
The President said he visited the Armed Forces Hospital (HFA) in Brasília to see “the flow of people” there.
“I also stopped by to check on the flow of people coming in,” he said at a press conference outside the Alvorada Palace when asked about it.
Early in the morning, the Presidential convoy left the Alvorada Palace by crossing through the Jaburu Palace, nearby and far from the sight of the press. In addition to visiting the HFA, he strolled through other satellite cities in the Federal District.
Bolsonaro refused to answer whether or not he had taken a third test to determine whether or not he was infected with the coronavirus. “What a question! Another question there,” he simply said.
At the press conference, the President also said that the campaign video ‘Brazil can’t stop’ was a leak and does not represent an official government position.
“Did any television station broadcast the video? That video leaked. There is nothing to discuss, as everything leaks in this country”.
This week, a video released by legislators and other government supporters with the slogan ‘Brazil can’t stop’ advocated the reopening of activities so that “everyone may live with health and dignity”. The material was even shared on social media by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, President Jair Bolsonaro’s son.
In recent days, the Special Secretary of Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic (SECOM) stated that the video was produced on an “experimental basis” and had not been approved for release.
On Friday, a federal district court in Rio de Janeiro ruled provisionally that the video could not be broadcast on the federal government’s official channels.
The President further stated on Sunday that the quarantine enforced against the coronavirus is already indirectly resulting in domestic violence.
“There are women getting beaten at home. Why is that? When poverty comes in at the door, love flies out of the window,” he said.
Among those who reported the increase in violence to Bolsonaro is the Minister of Women, Family and Human Rights, Damares Alves, he said.
Finally, the President again advocated the use of hydroxychloroquine in the fight against the pandemic. He reported that he obtained a study from a French body, through a “renowned Brazilian hospital”, which shows that hydroxychloroquine cured 78 people from a group of 80 patients analyzed.
Source: O Globo