Bolsonaro: “Those who fight for freedom of expression in Brazil are the federal government”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In an interview with TV Canção Nova’s program “Além da Notícia,” President Jair Bolsonaro said that “who is fighting for freedom of expression in Brazil is the federal government.”

The interview was recorded on October 15 but was not broadcast until Thursday (28). “Who fights for freedom of expression in Brazil is the federal government. Usually, it’s the other powers that fight for it, but here in Brazil, it’s the other way around, so that is why this government has a robust recognition from the people,” the head of government said.

This week, one of the president’s sons, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (Patriota-RJ), defended the “right to freedom of expression” of volleyball player Maurício Souza, who was accused of homophobia after he criticized Superman being bisexual in a new version of the DC Comics comic book.

Due to the fallout from the case and pressure from sponsors, the athlete was separated from Minas Tênis Clube. President Bolsonaro also commented on the incident, saying, “Everything is homophobia”

Speaking at a closing event for evangelical pastors in Manaus, AM, on Wednesday (27), the chief executive said that the Bible and the Constitution define the family as founded by a man and a woman. He said that “any union of two living beings in previous governments became a family.”

VACCINATION

In an interview with the Canção Nova television station, he also said that Brazil is among the countries “doing better” in vaccination. More than 300 million doses have been distributed in Brazil, and more than 80% of the population has been vaccinated against Covid-19 with at least the first dose.

In addition to vaccination, he cited “emergency treatment” as a factor contributing to the cooling of the pandemic in the country.

“We know that with the vaccination schedule and the emergency treatment that many people in Brazil have done, and the numbers of deaths and people infected that we are seeing now, we are leaving the pandemic behind,” he said.

Had Fernando Haddad (ideological left -PT) won the 2018 presidential election, Brazil would have had a mandatory vaccination card, curfews, and lockdowns – measures Bolsonaro opposes.

“Brazil would have blown itself up, then it would be under socialism, in my opinion. Brazil cannot continue to flirt with communism, as it has flirted a lot in the past,” he said.

PETROBRAS

Bolsonaro also returned to talk about the possibility of privatizing Petrobras. “I wanted to be free of Petrobras. I understand that the issue of privatization or non-privatization must be discussed because it is a strategic issue,” he said.

On Wednesday (27), he said Petrobras was “a state-owned company that is just a headache,” explaining that its privatization was on the government’s radar.

At the time, he said fuel prices had increased worldwide, but “less” in Brazil. He also told TV Canção Nova that he had no control over the increase. “Brazil is not self-sufficient in everything; we depend on the world.”