Bolsonaro’s beef with governors reaches new highs

By José Roberto Castro

Even before the coronavirus outbreak reached Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro had a fractious relationship with state governors. But the debate about the right approach to contain the pandemic brought the situation to a boiling point. Since mid-March, Bolsonaro has been pushing for the relaxation of quarantine rules across the country, in order to “avoid a full-scale economic collapse.” On the opposing side, many governors insist the restrictive measures are necessary to contain the pandemic. 

Some of the highlights of this back-and-forth sparring include the president calling governors “job exterminators,” and 20 of 27 state administrators issuing a joint open letter against the president’s approach to the coronavirus on April 19. A few weeks later, public spats are not as heated as they have been, but the tension is far from over. With the dramatic rise of the infection curve in several states, governors have been introducing new stricter quarantine rules. Governors are now facing backlash from the section of business owners that have sided with the president. 

On May 7, Mr. Bolsonaro and Economy Minister Paulo Guedes crossed the Three Powers Square, in Brasília, on foot — and attempted to storm the Supreme Court building. At their side were a group of lobbyists and businessmen, demanding the reopening of the economy.

Back in March, the Supreme Court ruled that governors — and not the federal administration — have the power to enact quarantines. “Mr. Bolsonaro went to the Supreme Court because he wants to have this power back, he wants to disallow restrictive measures like lockdowns,” political scientist Magna Inacio, a professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais told The Brazilian Report.

In an attempt to circumvent the governors’ power, Mr. Bolsonaro has recently issued a decree increasing the number of activities labeled as “essential,” including all industrial activities, natural gas companies, among others. Prior to that, he ruled that churches and temples — catering to his key evangelical support...