European Press Criticize Bolsonaro’s Silence Over 100,000 Covid-19 Deaths in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil was featured in all European media on Sunday, August 9th, for having reached 100,000 Covid-19 deaths. Newspapers, TVs and radio stations in the Old Continent recall that Brazil is second only to the United States in terms of the number of infections and deaths. Jair Bolsonaro’s failure to react to the tragedy did not go unnoticed.

Le Monde highlights the official figures related to deaths and confirmed cases of the disease in Brazil: 100,477 deaths and 3,012,412 positive diagnoses. However, for the newspaper, this count must be “relativized” due to insufficient testing. “Experts believe that the total number of people infected could be up to six times higher,” it published.

The article also notes that the largest country in Latin America, with 212 million inhabitants, has recorded over 1,000 daily deaths for several weeks. “There are 478 deaths per million inhabitants, a number equivalent to the United States (487), but lower than Spain (609) or Italy (583),” it wrote.

“Clear conscience”

Despite the criticism he is getting for the management of the health crisis, the newspaper Le Parisien points out that the Brazilian President said last Thursday, August 6th, that he has “a clear conscience” after having done “everything possible to save lives”. However, according to the daily newspaper, “the government runs a chaotic management of the pandemic,” with the removal of two Ministers of Health in the midst of a health crisis and an interim, Eduardo Pazuello, who is still in charge of the portfolio after four months.

“The President himself was infected by the virus last month, he has always opposed the confinement measures in the name of preserving the economy and referred to state governors who chose the measure as ‘dictators’,” says Le Parisien.

“100,000 dead in Brazil, no word from Bolsonaro”: this is the title of the article by Agence France Presse (AFP). While the solidarity messages to grieving families ruled social media this weekend, “the President was satisfied to tweet highlighting the number of recovered patients and to celebrate the victory of his favorite soccer team.”

The Portuguese newspaper Público was interested in a statement by ex-Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta: “There are 100,000 Brazilian families who have not yet received a single word of comfort or solidarity from the government.” The article points out that one of the features of the Bolsonaro government is “a deep inability to empathize with those who have been sick and who died, who are mainly the poorest.”

“The worst leadership at the worst possible time”

The Guardian published an interview with Brazilian biologist Natalia Pasternak, president of the Instituto Questão de Ciência (Institute for Science Matters). “We failed, as a country, as a government, as a society” in facing the health crisis, she says. The article recalls that Pasternak is part of a “vibrant” community of scientists, journalists, and opinion makers who struggle to expose the gravity of the epidemic in Brazil and try to find solutions against the spread of the disease.

Pasternak points out a main culprit for the 100,000 Covid-19 deaths: Jair Bolsonaro. “As President, he bears this responsibility. His behavior has been deplorable,” the biologist criticizes. “I’m really disappointed to see my country this way. We have the worst leadership at the worst possible time. As a scientist and a citizen, I am deeply saddened to see how this government has sunk my country,” she says.

Source: rfi