Bolsonaro Criticizes Rio Governor’s Decree: ‘It Seems Like Rio de Janeiro Is Another Country’

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, President Jair Bolsonaro criticized a decree from the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Wilson Witzel, with measures to contain the advance of the novel coronavirus.

According to Bolsonaro, “it seems that Rio de Janeiro is another country,” because Witzel would have taken measures outside his remit.

He also stated that some of the measures being taken by governors undermine the most impoverished and may lead to looting.

Witzel’s decree determined the suspension of air, land and sea travel from locations with confirmed circulation of the coronavirus or an emergency situation decreed. However, the suspension depends on confirmation from regulatory bodies, such as the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), which criticized the decision.

“In my opinion, they are taking exaggerated measures. They have closed the airport in Rio de Janeiro. It is not up to him, my God in heaven! ANAC is available, it is an independent body which is open to everyone, for discussions. I saw a decree from the governor of Rio yesterday which, I confess, worried me. It seems like Rio de Janeiro is another country. It’s not another country. There is a federation,” said Bolsonaro, when leaving the Alvorada Palace.

Bolsonaro said again that the measures taken against the Covid-19 cannot create “panic”:

“We must take balanced measures, (not measures) that increasingly lead to panic. If you follow what is happening to the people, especially the most impoverished… Soon we will have a looting problem, other problems will arise in Brazil”.

The President also voiced concern about the closure of business and said that “the remedy must be proportional” lest it become a poison:

“There are certain governors, I have to criticize again, who are taking extreme measures, which are not in their power: closing airports, closing roads… It’s not up to them. To close shopping malls etc, is to close the northeastern market (São Cristóvão Market) in Rio de Janeiro. If trade is stopped, people have nothing to eat. In some cases, the virus kills, yes, but many deaths will be (of people) without food. People with a poor diet are more prone, when catching the virus, to see their health situation worsened, leading to death. The remedy must be proportional, if not, it will kill. If anyone takes too much medication, it becomes poison”.