Thousands of people protest against Bolsonaro in Brazil

With Brazil’s presidential elections a year away, tens of thousands of protesters marched this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and dozens of other cities in the country to protest against President Jair Bolsonaro and request his dismissal.

The protest this Saturday pointed to the president for his mishandling of the covid-19 pandemic. Bolsonaro, who is not vaccinated and does not usually wear a mask, has underestimated the severity of the virus and promoted crowds during the pandemic, the AP agency reported.

Brazil is about to complete the mark than 600,000 deaths from covid-19.

According to the organizers of Saturday’s protests, the figure would have been much lower if Bolsonaro had defended social isolation and guaranteed the conditions for workers to stay at home during the most critical period

In opposition to the sanitary measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), Bolsonaro provoked crowds, publicized ineffective drugs, minimized the risks of the coronavirus and discouraged vaccination and the use of masks.

The protesters also protested the rise in inflation in pillars such as food and electricity. More than 130 requests for impeachment have been filed since the start of the Bolsonaro administration.

Protests in Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Sao Paulo and Brasilia, in addition to a hundred cities , were summoned by the “National Campaign Out with Bolsonaro”, backed by a dozen left-wing parties, trade union centrals and the group Direitos Já! that brings together leaders of 19 benches.