The groundhog president

This is certainly not an effect of isolation and the pandemic. This emptiness that haunts us like a transparent ghost is a real fact. The country has been paralyzed by the virus and the Bolsonaro government. We see no movement, whether political or emergency-related, that demonstrates any dynamism. What we see, in reality, is a decadent spectacle where the actors have nothing left to say about the little they had at the beginning, and the scene repeats itself. ad nauseum.

The mainstream press, despite no longer being able to avoid criticizing the government, seems to be constantly waiting for the slightest sign from Brasília so they can applaud again. It's unlikely to come. Ineffective ministers continue to be chosen and then ridiculed. Decrees don't move forward because they're absurd. Actions from the presidential palace are reprehensible, and characters in this clumsy story enter and exit, either into oblivion or prison. Lawsuits even exist against these people. Deputies, senators, ministers, wives, and advisors are in the crosshairs of justice, but the feeling we get is that nothing is progressing. It seems everyone is tired of this empty scenario and prefers to believe that it's not really like that and that they will wake up from this nightmare soon. 

Yes, that's exactly how it is. We are building a huge chasm in front of our own population and in front of the world. We can no longer travel to Europe, and here at home the atmosphere is suffocating and getting worse. The country needs to get moving again. We need to get out of this lethargy, do whatever it takes to remove Bolsonaro from government, deal with the pandemic properly, and get back on track, as they say.

Brazil doesn't deserve this Groundhog Day. We repeat the same stagnation every day, and not even the most exciting and intriguing news, the most appetizing scandals, and the most sensational arrests satisfy the country's need to move forward. We collect fake news, absurd lies, and we're stuck in the mud of this government without knowing how it will end.

People are desperate to leave their homes. After all this time in a rather half-hearted quarantine, we're starting to get anxious. The capital cities pushed the virus to the outskirts and the countryside. They're ready to kick off the door and say "screw it" and carry on with life, even with the virus lurking outside. Brazilians can't even wear masks. Social distancing, then, is practically impossible for those who need to survive without a stronger state. And what kind of life is this that we want to resume? What kind of country is this that we have left even without having defeated the virus? A country without personality, without a plan, without a president, and without a government.

We can no longer tolerate such passivity. We will lose a year or two just thinking about what we failed to do. Besides the virus that has struck the planet, we have been engulfed in an endless nightmare that will be dramatic for our lives. If we, who live in large cities, are in this situation, imagine those who survive in the interior, in the deep interior of Brazil, without hospitals, without information, without schools, without food, and without a future. 

Brazil doesn't deserve to end its history like this. We've lived through extremely rewarding moments in the recent past, and we must keep that in mind as we stretch our legs, extend our arms, and begin the recovery. It will be harder than we imagine, but if we stand still, it will be almost impossible. History also has room for governments like ours. It's down there in the basement, amidst the rubble, among viruses, rats, and filth. It's practically rock bottom.