Coronavirus

Health Minister refuses resignation of his right-hand man

In a press conference, Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta declared he would “not accept” the resignation of his Health Surveillance Secretary Wanderson Kleber de Oliveira, who announced this morning he would be leaving his post. During a press conference to announce the latest figures of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Brazil, Mr. Mandetta laughed that “if [Mr. Oliveira] resigns, I won’t accept it. We are in this together.”

“We came in together and we will leave together,” Mr. Mandetta added.

Earlier, Mr. Oliveira’s resignation announcement increased speculation that President Jair Bolsonaro would sack his Health Minister by the end of the week. “I will only leave the Health Ministry in three situations,” said Mr. Mandetta. “One, if the president doesn’t want me here anymore; two, if I were to get the flu, and three, if my work were no longer necessary.”

At the same press conference, Deputy Minister João Gabbardo claimed he will not “jump ship” and that he would leave the ministry alongside Mr. Mandetta. Mr. Gabbardo has been rumored to be on President Bolsonaro’s shortlist as a potential Health Minister after Mr. Mandetta’s sacking.

Mr. Oliveira made the last remark of the press conference — and a quite telling one: “We’re tired.”

Euan Marshall

Originally from Scotland, Euan Marshall traded Glasgow for São Paulo in 2011. Specializing in Brazilian soccer, politics, and the connection between the two, he authored a comprehensive history of Brazilian soccer entitled “A to Zico: An Alphabet of Brazilian Football.”

Recent Posts

Petro’s far-fetched train project to compete with the Panama Canal

Panama was once a part of Colombia. Its canal, a monumental engineering achievement of its…

17 hours ago

Market Roundup: The new skills corporate board members need

The specialization trend among corporate board members It is not only a matter of perception:…

2 days ago

As elections near, what’s next for Panama’s closed copper mine?

Panama will hold its presidential elections on Sunday, months after huge protests saw thousands descend…

2 days ago

Madonna concert to inject BRL 300 million into Rio economy

The city of Rio de Janeiro estimates that a Madonna concert this Saturday on Copacabana…

3 days ago

Panama ready to vote as Supreme Court clears frontrunner

Latin America’s trend of banning opposition candidates from elections has caught on in an ever-growing…

3 days ago

Sabesp privatization edges closer with São Paulo legislation

The São Paulo City Council on Thursday approved legislation authorizing Brazil’s largest city to sign…

3 days ago