No Result
View All Result
United Society 365
  • Top Stories
  • Health
  • Political
  • Law
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Beach holidays
  • Travel
  • Sport
  • Contact us
  • Top Stories
  • Health
  • Political
  • Law
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Beach holidays
  • Travel
  • Sport
  • Contact us
No Result
View All Result
United Society 365
No Result
View All Result

Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic could be his downfall as Lula’s popularity rises

United Society 365 by United Society 365
August 14, 2021
in Political
0
Home Political

Let’s express our solidarity with Lula and all Brazilians, making sure far-right Bolsonaro will be the next to go, says Claudia Webbe MP

Even before the recent news that Brazil’s election authority is due to investigate the country’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, growing dissatisfaction with his appalling mismanagement of the pandemic saw protests in late July in 350 areas across Brazil, including 20 major cities, demanding his resignation. 

Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic has wreaked havoc in Brazil. Earlier this year he called state governors “tyrants” for seeking to impose lockdowns in order to deal with staggering levels of Covid in the country.

In March, Bolsonaro – who has dismissed Covid as just “a little flu” and told people drawing attention to the public health crisis to “stop whining” – resisted calls by a forum of Brazil’s state governors to impose stricter measures to control infections.

Two months later, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom called for “aggressive” measures to contain the Covid pandemic.

He said that the raging rates of the virus will continue to affect the whole world if not suppressed, and the rest of Latin America in particular, and called for an increase in the rate of vaccinations.

Now in August, Brazil has reported over 20 million cases and recorded a staggering 559,000 deaths, the second-highest death toll globally after the United States. 

Furthermore, these official figures are widely thought to understate the problem. The avalanche of cases has brought Brazil’s health system close to collapse, with patients dying while waiting for available intensive-care beds.

Trump may have gone, but his major ally in Brazil has been in denial about the pandemic, claiming the same week that drastic shortages in oxygen, medicines and beds in 25 of 27 states were dominating the headlines, that Brazil “has been setting an example at the forefront in the quest for solutions.”

The country currently accounts for around 13% of the global deaths from Covid. The far-right Government’s failure to proceed quickly with a vaccination programme has contributed to this dire situation. So far only 21% of the population have received two doses of the vaccine. 

Additionally, roughly twice as many white Brazilians have received vaccines as Black Brazilians, showing once again how the far-right’s discriminatory and racist agenda runs throughout each area of government policy.

Bolsonaro’s overall handling of the pandemic, including the government’s purchase of vaccines, has been under investigation by the Senate. He was initially sceptic of vaccines which saw him claim that “if you turn into a crocodile, it’s your problem” – but he has since backtracked. 

But the Senate inquiry uncovered evidence pointing to potential illegalities in the way that the Indian vaccine Covaxin was acquired for the government’s programme. A senior official at the Health Ministry testified before the Senate that he had been pressured to authorise the import of the vaccine and pay $45 million in advance to a third company. 

His request to Bolsonaro to sanction an investigation into the deal had met with no response. Federal prosecutors subsequently opened a case on the contract, citing a number of concerns about how it was managed.

These serious allegations have led a broad grouping of politicians, together with social movements, trade unions and indigenous groups, to request the country’s lower house to impeach Bolsonaro for a list of alleged crimes.

Bolsonaro has also been losing support in the country for his neoliberal programme, including budget cuts and the privatisation of public companies – including Electrobras which produces 30% of the country´s power.

Anti-Bolsonaro opposition and Brazil’s left-wing movements in particular had received a massive boost in March when Brazil’s Supreme Court Judge, Edson Fachin overturned all convictions against Brazilian Workers’ Party leader and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Around the world these charges had always been condemned as politically motivated and ‘trumped up’. The court’s decision is of particular importance as it restores Lula’s political rights, making him eligible again to run for office, including the Presidency next year.

In a recent survey of more than 2,000 Brazilians conducted by the Institute for Research and Consulting Intelligence, Lula led in voting intentions for the 2022 presidential election, with 49% saying they would vote for him compared to 23% for Bolsonaro. No other potential candidates could muster a double-digit showing.

Public rejection of Bolsonaro is also on the increase, according to the survey. 62% of those surveyed said they would not be voting for Bolsonaro at all, up from 56% in a poll conducted in February. By contrast, those rejecting a vote for Lula fell from February’s 44% to 36% in the latest poll.

With Lula playing a leading role in the movement for a genuine, public national vaccination programme and in the broad opposition to Bolsonaro’s failed handling of the pandemic, his popularity is likely to grow in the next 15 months before the election in October 2022.

Bolsonaro’s main ally, Trump, has gone. Let’s express our solidarity with Lula and all Brazilians, making sure far-right Bolsonaro will be the next to go.

Claudia Webbe MP is the Member of Parliament for Leicester East. You can follow her on facebook and twitter.

Find out more about the Brazil Solidarity Initiative at www.brazilsolidarity.co.uk

As you’re here, we have something to ask you. What we do here to deliver real news is more important than ever. But there’s a problem: we need readers like you to chip in to help us survive. We deliver progressive, independent media, that challenges the right’s hateful rhetoric. Together we can find the stories that get lost.

We’re not bankrolled by billionaire donors, but rely on readers chipping in whatever they can afford to protect our independence. What we do isn’t free, and we run on a shoestring. Can you help by chipping in as little as £1 a week to help us survive? Whatever you can donate, we’re so grateful – and we will ensure your money goes as far as possible to deliver hard-hitting news.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top Stories

UN chief appoints inaugural Internet Governance Forum Leadership Panel

UN chief appoints inaugural Internet Governance Forum Leadership Panel

by United Society 365
August 17, 2022
0

Ten distinguished persons hailing from all regions of the globe have been appointed to serve on the Secretary-General’s inaugural Internet...

UN HIV/AIDS advocate and ‘proud champion’ of women dies at 92

UN HIV/AIDS advocate and ‘proud champion’ of women dies at 92

by United Society 365
August 17, 2022
0

Nafis Sadik, who died on Monday at the age 92 was the first woman to ever head one of the UN’s...

Rohingya refugees share concerns with UN rights commissioner during visit to Cox’s Bazar

Rohingya refugees share concerns with UN rights commissioner during visit to Cox’s Bazar

by United Society 365
August 17, 2022
0

During her first official visit to Bangladesh, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, met with a host...

Millions more children to benefit from world’s first malaria vaccine: UNICEF

Millions more children to benefit from world’s first malaria vaccine: UNICEF

by United Society 365
August 17, 2022
0

The pharmaceutical company GSK has been awarded a contract to produce the world’s first malaria vaccine so that millions more...

Building a more resilient post-earthquake future in Haiti

Building a more resilient post-earthquake future in Haiti

by United Society 365
August 15, 2022
0

One year on from a devastating earthquake which struck Haiti, communities are rebuilding their lives, and aiming to be better...

About us

United Society 365

United Society 365 delivers breaking news, headlines and top stories from politics, Health, entertainment and more in the UK and worldwide

Promoted Post

The UK’s scandal-ridden finance industry is no model for sustainable economic development
Political

The UK’s scandal-ridden finance industry is no model for sustainable economic development

by United Society 365
February 18, 2022
0

Recent News

Political

Trump’s Shifting Explanations Follow a Familiar Playbook

August 17, 2022
Political

What Is the Espionage Act and How Has It Been Used?

August 17, 2022
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
  • Contact us

No Result
View All Result
  • Top Stories
  • Health
  • Political
  • Law
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Beach holidays
  • Travel
  • Sport
  • Contact us

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT