Politicians react to Bolsonaro's dismissal of Mandetta: 'jealousy, vanity, denial of science'

By Nathalia Bignon, for 247 - “Thousands being infected, many more dying, and President Jair Bolsonaro’s priority is to change the Health Ministry team, which is fulfilling its role in combating the pandemic, despite the president himself. The dismissal of Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta and his team in the midst of the worsening coronavirus pandemic is yet another absurd decision by the genocidal president. Victory for the coronavirus; immense defeat for the Brazilian people at the mercy of an irresponsible, negligent and criminal president,” this is how federal deputy Márcio Jerry (MA) defined it, after the announcement of the dismissal of the Minister of Health, this Thursday (16). 

Announced this afternoon via a tweet from the minister himself, the resignation was formalized shortly afterward by President Jair Bolsonaro. At the same time, businessman and oncologist Nelson Teich was introduced as the new head of the ministry. Lacking experience in public health, the reaction was immediate, including among parliamentarians.  

Danilo Cabral (PSB-PE), for example, did not hold back in his criticism of the president's stance. "As expected, Bolsonaro has once again chosen the mediocre path of placing his petty interests above the interests of Brazil. Choosing to dismiss the Minister of Health on the eve of the peak of the crisis is an irresponsible and criminal act. Luiz Henrique Mandetta leaves bigger than he entered," he stated. 

"It's a shame that Minister Mandetta resigned. I knew him and he is an extremely well-prepared professional for the job. And I'm not just talking about the fight against the coronavirus. The government loses with his departure. And the way he left is also regrettable," said Senator Plínio Valério (PSDB-AM).

Anticipating the political fallout the new minister will face, Nilto Tatto (PT-SP) released a video in which Teich defends the survival of a teenager over the decision to save an elderly person. “'Nelson Teich,' the new 'Minister of Health,' makes it clear: for him, health is a business where profit prevails over people's lives. Teich, like 'Mandetta,' aligns perfectly with Paulo Guedes and Bolsonaro in their genocidal policies,” he criticized.

The doctor, former Minister of Health and federal deputy (PT-SP) Alexandre Padilha took the opportunity to ask Mandetta not to forget the lessons left by the Unified Health System (SUS). "Mandetta was fired for the wrong reasons, I hope he doesn't abandon the SUS vest he wore during this crisis," he stated. 

Federal Deputy Marcelo Freixo (PSOL-RJ) did not hide his apprehension. "Hearing from the new Minister of Health that there is 'total alignment with Bolsonaro' is like listening to a funeral march, with the President of the Republic as the conductor," he confessed. 

Guilherme Boulos, leader of the MTST and presidential candidate for PSOL in the 2018 election, did not forget Mandetta's history, but cited the good work he had done in the ministry. “Mandetta was president of health insurance companies, he was against Cuban doctors and voted in favor of the Spending Cap that took R$9 billion from the SUS (Brazilian public healthcare system). It's incredible that, with all that, he lost his position as Minister because of his virtues, not his vices. Only in Bolsonaro's genocidal government.”

Senator Fabiano Contarato (Rede-ES) lamented the dismissal in the context imposed by the pandemic. "The President shows no greatness even in the most dramatic phase for the country: he paralyzes Mandetta's good work just to show who's in charge and not feel overshadowed. It's a pathological case of envy and authoritarianism!", he commented. 

Another parliamentarian, Túlio Gadelha (PDT-PE), also didn't hold back in his criticism. "Out of jealousy, vanity, denial of science (or all of the above), Bolsonaro fired Mandetta in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. No balanced minister who does serious work can survive in this government of flat-earthers." 

Marcelo Calero (Cidadania-RJ) was categorical. “An irresponsible person with strong signs of insanity. This is the incompetent person we have in the Presidency of the Republic, a guy who simply doesn't care about the country or the people he governs, but rather about serving his family and his frivolous whims,” he stated.

Collective

Applauded with a standing ovation during the press conference in which he formalized his resignation, Luiz Henrique Mandetta thanked the ministry's staff, recapped moments from his professional career, and reiterated that he will continue his "unwavering defense of the Unified Health System (SUS) and science." 

“We are only at the beginning of the battle. If you need to stay because of your duties, you know that ministers come and go, but what remains is the work of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. May we have a good outcome,” he said, visibly emotional.

Subsequently, Jair Bolsonaro, in another statement, affirmed that in a “positive and cordial” conversation, Mandetta concluded his cycle at the Ministry of Health. However, the president stated that he would dismiss him within the next few hours. “It was a consensual divorce. Because above me, as president, and him, as minister, is health,” Bolsonaro commented.  

Business

"The coronavirus issue is affecting everyone, and Brazil is no different," he said. Citing the impact on the economy several times, Bolsonaro also stated that the government is not an eternal source of relief, that he was not consulted by mayors and governors about the isolation measures adopted by the states, and that he will not be held responsible for the future effects.