RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In his testimony to Brazil’s Covid CPI, epidemiologist Pedro Hallal affirmed that President Jair Bolsonaro is directly responsible for some of the deaths that have occurred in the pandemic.
“I am aware of the responsibility to make this statement: One thing is the responsibility of the federal government, which is very clear from the data we have presented. But I want to say in all candor that I’m much calmer in saying that some of these deaths are the direct responsibility of the president of the republic.”
For the epidemiologist, it is necessary to distinguish possible mistakes by the federal administration from the openly denialist attitude of the president, which endangers those who follow his words: “The one who said that the vaccine turns people into alligators was the president, not the federal government. The one who said he wouldn’t buy vaccines from China was the president.”
“Often people confuse the institution with the person. I think, even from the statements I have seen from Senators who are independent or from the governing base, that they are able to defend the actions of the Federal Government. But the President’s actions are indefensible,” he said.