Bolsonaro wants Health Minister to toe the line

President Jair Bolsonaro has reportedly requested Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta to alter his public discourse to be more in line with what the president is saying. The problem? Mr. Bolsonaro has been Brazil’s number-one coronavirus denier. 

According to officials, Mr. Mandetta’s more “technical” tone has left the president exposed. Case in point: when Mr. Bolsonaro made physical contact with hundreds of supporters on Sunday, just days after the Health Ministry issued a series of measures to avoid spreading the virus, or when he dismissed the pandemic as a “fantasy” created by corporate media.

But as the live blog reported yesterday, the frustration is mutual. The Health Minister sees his efforts to raise awareness around the Covid-19 outbreak as being undermined by Mr. Bolsonaro.

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