Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro went to support demonstrators on Sunday who, not respecting the rules of confinement, gathered in front of the army headquarters in Brasilia to demand military intervention and the closure of the Congress.
"We don't want to negotiate anything , " launched the far-right president, standing in the back of a pickup truck, to the agglutinated demonstrators, holding up signs calling for "military intervention with Bolsonaro". These protesters are demanding the application of a law which in 1968 imposed the closure of Congress and removed many constitutional rights.
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"I am here because I believe in you and you are here because you believe in Brazil," yelled the president a few meters away from the crowd. Children, the elderly, a few people wearing masks were in the front rows of the procession, which attracted around 600 people.
Jair Bolsonaro constantly criticizes the leaders of the Congress, the governors and the mayors who defend the policy of containment and social distancing aiming to stop the spread of the coronavirus which made more than 2,300 victims and infected more than 36,000 people in the country.
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The head of state downplays the lethality of the virus which he describes as a "gripette" , promotes rallies, and has expressed himself several times in favor of the reopening of shops and schools.
"You have to fight for your country. Count on your president to do what is necessary so that we can guarantee democracy and what is most dear to us, our freedom, ” said Bolsonaro.
During his address, interspersed with coughing fits, the Brazilian president did not question the call for military intervention or the request to close the Congress of protesters.
A majority of 68% of Brazilians approve of containment despite its impact on the economy, according to a survey by the Datafolha institute published on Saturday. The figure is declining, however, since it was 76% in early April.