Growing Discontent Over Brazil’s Economy Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL  –  In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that escalated this week in Brazil, the assessment that Bolsonaro’s government’s economic measures to bolster the Brazilian economy are “on the wrong track” jumped from 40 percent in February to 48 percent in March, according to an XP survey released on Friday, March 20th.

This was the first time since December last year that the negative perception of Brazil’s economic performance has exceeded the positive one.

Jair Bolsonaro’s government’s positive assessment dropped four percentage points between February and March and reached 30 percent. The survey’s error margin is 3.2 percentage points plus or minus.

The survey interviewed 1,000 Brazilians between Monday and Wednesday last week, a period just before the effects of the pandemic intensified. Last Friday, the country had only 121 positive cases for the disease, and no deaths.

Today, these are more than 600 and at least seven victims. Shopping malls, retail centers and services are now closed, while cities decide when they will ban the circulation of people.

For those interviewed, the performance of the Minister of Health, Luiz Mandetta, is perceived as positive by 56 percent. In one month, the population’s concern over the coronavirus jumped from 50 to 70 percent. Those who claim not to be concerned dropped from 49 to 28 percent. Those who said they had taken preventive measures reached 83 percent.

Paulo Guedes’ actions to minimize the impacts of the crisis are approved by 36 percent. In order to tackle the economic impact, 61 percent favor the adoption of incentives, while 24 percent believe Congress should focus on approving the original agenda, including the proposed administrative and tax reforms.