RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday (25) that, if it were up to him, there would be no Carnaval next year. The statement was given in an interview to Radio Sociedade da Bahia, after a question about the new wave of Covid-19 in Europe and restrictions imposed by some countries as a way to stop the advance of the disease.
On the other hand, he affirmed that he is against the application of restrictive measures in Brazil due to the economy.
The interviewer asked how he viewed the measures imposed in Europe and if he was in favor of holding Carnaval. Bolsonaro replied:
“For me, I wouldn’t have Carnaval. But there is a detail: I am not the one who decides. According to the Supreme Court, the governors and mayors decide. I don’t want to delve into this that could become a new controversy.”
He made a reference to the Supreme Court STF decision that gave autonomy to states and municipalities to take measures to combat the pandemic, although without exempting the federal government from responsibility.
About the restrictions in Europe, the president said:
“I am seeing that some countries in Europe are resuming lockdown measures, yes. If there is another lockdown in Brazil, in states and municipalities, it will break the economy once and for all. This is our concern.”