Bolsonaro calls coronavirus lockdown in Brazil's major cities a 'crime'
SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO - President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday blasted as criminals the governors and mayors of Brazil closing businesses to slow the coronavirus outbreak, but he drew a fierce backlash from across the political spectrum.
“Other viruses have killed many more than this one and there wasn’t all this commotion,” Bolsonaro told journalists outside his official residence. “What a few mayors and governors are doing is a crime. They’re destroying Brazil.” In a widely criticized national address on Tuesday, he played down the risks of coronavirus, assuring Brazilians that “90% of us will have no symptoms if contaminated.”
Doria, who aligned himself with Bolsonaro in his 2018 campaign and has since become one of the president’s main rivals on the right, appeared to confirm the tone of the call.
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