Brasilia, March 19 (RHC)-- For the second day in a row, ultra-right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro was the subject of protests in several Brazilian cities. The protests began in the country on Tuesday, after residents of some communities in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, from windows and balconies, shouted and pot-banging for Bolsonaro's resignation.
After the call went viral on Twitter, the protests reached on Wednesday other Brazilian cities and communities. Spreading quickly, the expression "Bolsonaro Out" circulated on Twitter and became one of the most talked-about topics in the world.
The spontaneous reaction of the people began in response to the president's position on the situation facing Brazil and the world to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Bolsonaro has downplayed the importance of the pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 8,000 people in the world. He exposed his supporters to a high risk of contagion by calling them to a demonstration last Sunday to show their support for the government.
This occurred as the government's health department announced daily actions and warnings about the spread of the disease in the country. "The reaction to the virus is hysterical," the president said shortly before the country confirmed 529 cases of infection, four deads and only 2 recovered.
Meanwhile, the president of the Brazilian Senate has tested positive for COVID-19, along with two Cabinet ministers and 16 members of President Bolsonaro’s entourage on a recent trip to the U.S. to meet with President Trump. Over the weekend, Bolsonaro — who should have self-quarantined under guidelines suggested by his own government — joined packed political rallies, hugging supporters and posing for selfies.
The pot-bangings resounded throughout neighborhoods in the Southern and Eastern Zone of São Paulo; in the favelas of Rocinha and Vidigal, in Rio de Janeiro; in the middle-class regions of Brasilia, the country's capital; and in the capital of Paraná, Curitiba.
Protests were also seen in cities such as Goiânia, Porto Alegre, Belém, Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador, Aracaju, Florianópolis, Vitória da Conquista, Taboão da Serra, Vitória, Juiz de Fora, among others.
