Health Minister reshuffles to bring in marketing advisor

Marcos Eraldo Arnoud Marques, a.k.a. Markinhos Show. Photo: Facebook

As the Health Ministry comes under enormous criticism for its mishandling of the pandemic, department head Eduardo Pazuello fired one of his closest advisors in order to make room for Marcos Eraldo Arnoud Marques, who had been acting as the minister’s unofficial marketing advisor since December.

Mr. Marques, known as Markinhos Show, is the brain behind the marketing stunt which delayed a mission to collect 2 million ready-for-use vaccines from India, so that the aircraft used could be decked out with government marketing material, bearing the slogan “Immunized Brazil. We are one Nation.” The slogan is part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about coronavirus vaccines, which will use faces of “everyday Brazilians” in order to “get closer to people,” Markinhos Show told The Brazilian Report.

Markinhos Show’s fingerprints were also seen in Mr. Pazuello’s opening remarks before press conferences — including the minister’s denial of having defended the use of chloroquine as “early treatment” for Covid-19, just one week after arguing just that.

Débora Álvares

Débora Álvares has worked as a political reporter for newspapers Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado de S.Paulo, Globo News, HuffPost, among others. She specializes in reporting on Brasilia, working behind-the-scenes coverage at the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary branches of government.