Pazuello appoints businessman who was working without any formal employment relationship with the Ministry of Health.
Brazil's interim Health Minister, General Eduardo Pazuello, appointed businessman Airton Soligo, known as Cascavel, to work in his office. Despite having no formal government ties, the businessman had been holding meetings with politicians to discuss the coronavirus pandemic.
247 - The interim Minister of Health, General Eduardo Pazuello, appointed businessman Airton Soligo, known as Cascavel, to serve as special advisor in his office. The appointment was published this Tuesday (23), in the Official Gazette. As shown by Panel columnEven without a formal link to the government, the businessman had been meeting with governors and state and municipal health secretaries on behalf of the ministry to discuss measures to combat the coronavirus.
Cascavel was a federal deputy for Roraima (1999-2002). He tried to return to the post in 2018, running for the Republicanos party, but was not elected.
The composition of staff in the Health Ministry has been the target of criticism of the Jair Bolsonaro government. The ministry reportedly has at least 13 military personnel, most of whom lack experience in the field.
Former minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta left his post after disagreements with Bolsonaro, who had been (and continues to be) downplaying the effects of the pandemic and advocating for the reopening of some sectors of the economy.
Later, Nelson Teich was appointed to head the ministry, but there was also disagreement with Bolsonaro, who was lobbying for the use of chloroquine in the treatment of patients diagnosed with Covid-19, even without scientific proof of the drug's effectiveness.