Bolsonaro Attacks Lockdown against Covid While Visiting Flooded Southern Brazil Cities

When asked about families who lost everything, the president said that 'we had a catastrophe last year'

President Jair Bolsonaro this Sunday (12) attacked the restrictions on movement decreed by governors in the fight against the transmission of the novel coronavirus when talking about the floods that occurred in southern Bahia. According to the Civil Defense and Protection Superintendence of Bahia, there were 5 deaths and 175 injuries as a result of the floods. The floods affected nearly 70,000 people and left 6,472 homeless and 3,744 homeless.

When asked how the federal government would help families who lost their homes and businesses, the president took the opportunity to compare the tragedy with the economic effects caused by the restrictive measures. "We also had a catastrophe last year, when many governors, and people from Bahia, closed all trade and forced the people to stay at home.

People, largely informal [workers], were condemned to starvation," he said. In an interview in Porto Seguro (BA), where he disembarked after flying over the affected region. "The government is sensitive to this problem. We ask for everyone's collaboration to overcome this problem and we also don't want to destroy the economy in the name of anything. Although we respect and understand the seriousness that this virus has brought to Brazil," stated the president.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

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