Tens of thousands demonstrate for Bolsonaro's impeachment

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Protesters in Rio de Janeiro

Photo: CARL DE SOUZA / AFP

They held up signs and banners, one of which read: "Out with the corrupt criminal".

In Brazil, tens of thousands of people demonstrated against Jair Bolsonaro's corona policy on Saturday.

They are calling for the president to be impeached.

Rallies were announced in more than 400 cities across the country.

It was the fourth mass protests since the end of May that left-wing parties, trade unions and social organizations helped to organize.

The protesters mainly complained about the vaccination campaign, which started late, the high unemployment rate and the lack of support for the low-income sections of the population economically affected by the pandemic.

Brazilian media reported rallies against the far-right head of state in 20 of Brazil's 26 states.

According to the latest polls, Bolsonaro's approval ratings among the population have dropped to a low of 24 percent.

In next year's elections he is threatened with defeat by the left-wing ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose PT workers' party was involved in the protests.

Bolsonaro is accused of massively worsening the corona pandemic in the country by repeatedly downplaying the dangers of the virus and questioning the benefits of corona vaccinations.

There are also massive allegations of corruption in connection with the pandemic, which a parliamentary committee of inquiry is currently dealing with in addition to the public prosecutor's office.

Bolsonaro's health was recently very bad.

In mid-July, doctors diagnosed the 66-year-old with an intestinal obstruction.

He had to spend a few days in a hospital.

The right-wing extremist president has had to receive medical treatment several times in the past, including after a knife attack in the 2018 election campaign, which he only barely survived.

In July of last year, he was also sick with Covid-19, but had only mild symptoms and did not need hospital treatment.

kha / AFP