19.1 million people are going hungry in Brazil amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Red Penssan. | Photo: @DaniMayakovski

Brasilia, April 8 (RHC)-- The number of billionaires in Brazil increased by 44 percent, going from 45 in 2020 to 65 in 2021, according to Forbes magazine, while more than half of the population of the South American country suffers from hunger.

According to the list drawn up by the specialized financial media, those 65 people in Brazil together possess 219.1 billion dollars.   An article published in the newspaper Brasil de Fato indicates that this wealth almost doubled during the period of the coronavirus pandemic, reaching $127.1 billion last year, which represents an increase of 71 percent.

The report mentioned that this increase in wealth accumulation contrasts with the advance of hunger in Brazil.

A study of Food Insecurity and Covid-19 in Brazil, prepared by the Brazilian Research Network on Food Sovereignty and Security (Red Penssan), concludes that more than half of the population (116.8 million people) has no guarantee of food on the table.

Also, 19.1 million people are going hungry in Brazil in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Globally, during the last year, 660 new billionaires were added to the Forbes list, composed of a total of 2,755 people, who together accumulate 13.1 billion dollars.