NYT points to “a perfect storm” in Brazil
According to the American newspaper The New York Times, Jair Bolsonaro "was struggling to govern effectively long before the explosive resignation speech of his minister, who basically considers his boss a criminal."
247 The American newspaper The New York Times He believes that Brazil is experiencing a "perfect storm" with a deepening political crisis at the same time as the economy is not growing and the country is hit by a global pandemic.
"The president was struggling to govern effectively long before his minister's explosive resignation speech, in which his minister essentially considers his boss a criminal," the text says.
"In recent weeks, Bolsonaro's shockingly dismissive response to the coronavirus pandemic, which he called a 'little cold' and which cannot be an impediment to economic growth, has generated impeachment calls in Congress and perplexity abroad," it continues.
The NYT highlights Bolsonaro's popularity. "The president's opposition to social distancing measures led him to fire his popular health minister last week and to clash with some of the country's most powerful governors," it adds.
The newspaper quotes Acácio Machado, a 70-year-old retiree who lives in Rio de Janeiro and voted for Bolsonaro in 2018. He says he regrets his choice. "I voted hoping there would be change, but I was deceived," he says, adding that many friends who voted for Bolsonaro have also come to regret their decision. "If I had a crystal ball at the time, I would have ruined my vote."