Brazil’s Lula warns virus could cause ‘genocide’ under Bolsonaro
Former Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has called for the impeachment of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, warning that his fierce opposition toward coronavirus restrictions could cause “genocide” in the country.
Lula told AFP by video conference from his home near Sao Paulo that Bolsonaro steers Brazil toward "chaos" with his calls to reopen the economy.
"The administration is turning anyone who's worried about coronavirus into an enemy, and that's not the right path,” said Lula.
The new coronavirus, which causes an acute respiratory illness, COVID-19, has so far infected some 203,165 and killed 13,999 others in the country.
The world, with a tally of 4,540,224 confirmed cases of infection and 303,585 deaths, has so far been under strict lockdown restrictions to contain the pandemic.
Bolsonaro, however, actively called on people to defy social distancing measures — put in place by state governors — and return to work.
The president himself resisted imposing restrictive measures, arguing that the economic fallout of a lockdown would be deadlier than the virus, which he described as the “little flu.”
Lula said that Bolsonaro “doesn't even respect those who are dying” of the coronavirus epidemic.
The former president said he has “been praying for the Brazilian people to escape this genocide Bolsonaro is causing."
Lula said Bolsonaro could now be impeached, because he has “committed high crimes.”
“Bolsonaro has …attacked democracy, democratic institutions and the Brazilian people,” Lula said.
Lula, 74, is a former union leader, who fought Brazil's military dictatorship and became one of the country's most popular presidents with an anti-poverty crusade.
He, however, was imprisoned in 2018, to serve a 12-year corruption sentence.
After spending 580 days in jail, Lula was released by a supreme court ruling.
He has constantly denied the charges, describing them as politically motivated.
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