São Paulo Governor: “The Whole World Is at Home and Only Bolsonaro Is Right?”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The governor of São Paulo, João Doria, on Friday afternoon, March 27th, again criticized President Jair Bolsonaro’s policy of abandoning social isolation as a measure to fight the coronavirus in the Brazilian states.

“Almost half the planet’s population is at home. The whole world is at home and the only one who is right is President Jair Bolsonaro? Is that the rationale: only one is right and the whole world is wrong? Think about it. The Ministry of Health advocates isolation. The campaign the federal government is launching today on TV stations and social media advocates the opposite. Do we have a federal government or two governments?”, Doria asked.

The statement was made after a visit by the governor to the field hospital being erected at the Pacaembu stadium in the West Zone of São Paulo. Together with the mayor of São Paulo, Bruno Covas, Doria said that “the politics that kill people do not save the economy,” alluding to the campaign that the president’s support base launched on Friday, March 27th, for a return to economic activities in the country in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is not rational to do politics over people’s health and life, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. It is rational to adopt correct and supportive measures. Today, more than 40 countries are in quarantine against the worst health crisis in the world in 100 years. Will we need to bury 4,400 people in São Paulo, as in Italy, to be sure that the call to take to the streets to do what they should not do is a mistake? Before this happens, you, who are a citizen and love life, follow the advice of doctors and authorities who are not afraid to speak the truth. Stay home,” he said.

Death threats

João Doria also commented on the death threats he started receiving on Thursday, March 26th, through his cell phone and also on social media. The governor ascribed the messages to the so-called “hate cabinet” in Brasília, headed by members of the federal government, and says these would be a reaction of Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters following his quarrel with the President on Tuesday, March 24th, during a videoconference meeting with all the governors of the Southeast.

“I began to receive WhatsApp messages and phone calls with swear words from people instructed by the hate cabinet in Brasília, which in the last 15 months has only produced this, mistakes and instability in the country’s life. After 10:30 PM, I began to receive harsher threats of violence, intimidation and invasion of my home. I asked for an investigation and we are already monitoring all the phone calls and WhatsApp messages I received. I want to say to ‘Bolsominions’ and those threatening me, bullies like these, that I am not afraid of ugly faces, I am not afraid of ‘Bolsominions’, of one, two, three, or four. I’m not afraid of Bolsonaro, I’m Brazilian and I was taught to work for law and justice,” said Doria.

The governor of São Paulo also said that, despite the federal government’s campaign against social isolation, the decision to keep the state in quarantine is maintained until April 7th.

Regarding the motorcades recorded in the state of São Paulo by Bolsonaro’s supporters against quarantine, the governor declared that his administration “will save everyone’s life”.

“Part of my people are following someone irresponsible, who is campaigning for people to take to the streets when they should remain at home. You who are shouting and threatening me, we will help save your lives too. We will save the lives of those who preach irresponsibility too,” he said.

Field hospitals

During the press conference, the governor of São Paulo also announced the transfer of R$50 million to co-fund the campaign hospitals that the City Hall of São Paulo is erecting in the state capital to attend patients.

According to São Paulo’s mayor Bruno Covas, the Pacaembu field hospital is due to be delivered on April 1st and should be added to the total of 2,100,000 beds that the municipal administration plans in the capital to tackle the coronavirus.

At the press conference, Mayor Covas added that health decisions in São Paulo are guided by the expert technical assessments of doctors and specialists in the field.

“We are doing here what is recommended by the world’s leading health and sanitary surveillance authorities. The isolation and protection of life is not right-wing, left-wing or center. It is a humanitarian action, irrespective of party or politics. This is a moment of unity, not of thinking about the next elections, but rather about lives. We cannot have regrets later, as the mayor of Milan regretted not having closed everything down now that he has more than 4,000 deaths,” Covas said.

Criticizing President Bolsonaro, the mayor of São Paulo said the municipal administration’s measures against the coronavirus in the state capital are concerned with people’s lives in the city and “not being held accountable for any homicide”.

“We are working on the third stage of the pandemic. We are concerned about providing the beds that people will need. Although we see many politicians concerned about the CLT [Consolidation of Labor Laws] article that deals with accountability, our concern here is with Article 121 of the Penal Code. In not being held accountable for any homicide,” said the mayor of São Paulo.

Credit for municipalities

At the event in Pacaembu, Governor João Doria also released an additional R$90 million for municipalities in São Paulo state having fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, to invest in the fight against the coronavirus in the interior of the state.

“In total, we are investing R$309 million so that the 645 municipalities in the state may purchase supplies and invest in hospitals to fight the coronavirus. This money should be spent solely on health,” said the governor.