Why Does Brazil’s Bolsonaro Refuse to Lock Down His Country’s Economy?

Why Does Brazil’s Bolsonaro Refuse to Lock Down His Country’s Economy?
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives at the flag-raising ceremony before a ministerial meeting at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, on May 12, 2020. Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images
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Commentary
When reports regarding COVID-19 illnesses began to surface, media outlets initially downplayed the risks. But they soon followed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) claims that the virus was more serious than the seasonal flu and that a high volume of cases could prove burdensome to healthcare systems, and governments around the globe scrambled to keep the virus from spreading rapidly.