‘Little Flu’ Can’t Hurt Him: Why Bolsonaro Still Shuns Lockdowns
- Brazil president is emphasizing economy over quarantines
- On Sunday, he mingled with supporters at shops, restaurants
Jair Bolsonaro arrives to a news conference at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 27.
Photographer: Andre Borges/AP Photo
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Throughout the coronavirus crisis that’s killed 35,000 people worldwide, Jair Bolsonaro has kept up face-to-face meetings and pushed everyday Brazilians to get back to work.
It’s no political calculation. In his gut, the president believes the bigger threat to Brazil is the economic fallout rather than the virus itself, according to two officials with knowledge of his thinking. On Sunday, he toured Brasilia, where he chatted with large groups while visiting shops, restaurants and street markets.