RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Saturday, April 18th, President Jair Bolsonaro once again stressed the impact of restrictive measures on jobs in the country. From the ramp of the Planalto Palace, the President further said that eventually opening trade in the Federal District on May 3rd would already be ”late”.
“There are a few million formal jobs that have been destroyed, besides casual ones,” he said.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bolsonaro has been opposed to restrictive measures enforced by governors and mayors. The president advocates the so-called “vertical” isolation, which quarantines only high-risk groups, to ensure the economy picks up again.
Bolsonaro was at the Planalto Palace on Saturday, although he had no official commitments on his agenda. For just over an hour, the President watched the activity outside the Palace and waved to supporters. The Chief Executive even descended the ramp and approached supporters creating crowds.
Bolsonaro did not greet the people physically; he only accepted a picture of Jesus and a flag with an anti-abortion motif.