Bolsonaro: Covid deaths in Brazil begin to drop for fear of investigation on real numbers

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Tuesday, April 20th, President Jair Bolsonaro said that deaths by the novel coronavirus have begun to drop in Brazil because there is “fear” over an investigation on the numbers of the pandemic.

According to the president, an investigation into data on the disease in the country could show that the numbers were inflated to harm his government. The statement came during an agenda with evangelical leaders from Anápolis (GO) at the Planalto Palace yesterday afternoon.

“The number of deaths by Covid has started to drop because they are afraid that I will start an investigation and they will see that many deaths were called ‘suspected of Covid’ to exactly inflate numbers and pressure the population against our government,” he said. Excerpts of the president’s speech at the meeting with religious people were posted on social networks by participants in the meeting, which was mediated by ex-government leader in the Chamber of Deputies Vítor Hugo (PSL-GO).

Last week, in his traditional live stream, Bolsonaro suggested that deaths caused by Covid-19 began to drop after the Covid CPI included in the scope of investigations the transfer of resources to states and municipalities to fight the pandemic.

“Curious, right? We know about the virus, Covid, it kills many people and so on, but it seems that the numbers started to fall after the CPI in the Senate also included an investigation on governors and mayors,” said the Chief Executive last Thursday, April 15th.

On Friday, April 16th, the president told supporters that he asked Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga for data on deaths caused by other diseases in Brazil. Bolsonaro said it is necessary to know the “specific number” of deaths caused by the virus.

According to the media outlet consortium, the country totals over 375,000 deaths by the novel coronavirus.