This week, we’re covering the ways in which the pandemic has brought Brazil to its knees. And the exit of Treasury Secretary Mansueto Almeida — one of the most respected members of the Bolsonaro administration.
How the pandemic broke Brazil
It’s been 16 weeks since the coronavirus reached Brazil — and the country seems no closer to developing a national strategy to reopen, rebuild its economy, or defeat the virus. Brazil has been held hostage by leaders placing their electoral strategies ahead of public safety when deciding on how to tackle the pandemic — and short-sighted corporations who are jeopardizing the long-term economy to mitigate short-term losses. Meanwhile, the government’s only strategy to reduce deaths seems to be ejecting one Health Minister after another, or tampering with the numbers.
Why it matters. In recent years, every single aspect of public life seems to trigger a culture war. And that is weakening the country’s ability to respond to a crisis that demands united action.
Exposing fractures. Brazil’s response has been hobbled by trends that precede the coronavirus — growing income inequality, the rise of disinformation, lack of trust in democratic institutions, and hyper-partisanship.
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