On April 19, 2020, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro publicly joined a group of roughly 600 protestors objecting to stay-at-home orders issued by state governors. The protesters also demanded the closure of Brazil’s Supreme Court and Congress, advocating for military intervention with President Bolsonaro instead.
Although recent polls indicate that the majority of Brazilians support the stay-at-home orders, the country could be at risk of returning to a military regime after 30 years of democracy. President Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has publicly opposed social distancing recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and has expressed nostalgia for the country’s 1964-1985 dictatorship. On April 17, President Bolsonaro fired his health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who had been promoting isolation measures.
At present, Brazil has over 39,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, the highest number in Latin America, and nearly 2,500 deaths. The number remains relatively low in relation to the country's population of 211 million, but the outbreak is not expected to peak until May 2020.
