Brazil PM attacks journalists again, says 'you wimps' have 'low chance of surviving COVID'

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro launched a scathing attack on journalists on August 24 during a public event ‘Defeating COVID-19', describing them as “wimps”. Bolsonaro said that their chance of dying due to COVID-19 was heightened as they weren’t “athletic”. Further, he said, the journalists’ rate of survival from coronavirus was “quite a bit lower” as they "only know how to do evil, to use a pen largely for evil.”

However, this hasn’t been the first occasion of a verbal assault on the media by the former right leaned military captain. On August 24, Sunday’s presser, President Bolsonaro wanted to publicly “punch” a reporter “in the face”. The journalist had questioned the leader about thousands of dollars transferred into the account of the president’s spouse by a former aide related to a corruption probe. Bolsonaro responded, saying, he wished to "pound punches" in reporter's mouth.

Exaggerating his personal expertise at the event in battling COVID-19 in July, Bolsonaro had touted the use of “game-changer” drug hydroxychloroquine, calling himself an athlete. At the press conference, the Brazilian President had cited “no side effects” of administering the controversial drug, as he had also claimed the drug’s “resistance to COVID-19” hailing signs, crediting his “athletic past”. In fact, on Monday, Bolsonaro said that the press can feast on his historical athletic past, as he employed the Portuguese colloquial phrase ‘Bundao’, adding, that the disease will nevertheless get “one in every one of you wimps.”  He then went on to say that the likelihood of the journalists surviving as he did is nil and sort of a “bit decrease” as they solely know how to do an ‘evil act’ with words and pen. 

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Press caused “hysteria” about "little flu"

Earlier, in March, while the coronavirus hit a peak in several European countries, Brazil and the US, Bolsonaro launched an irresponsible and inflammatory attack on the media reportage at the press conference, saying, press caused “hysteria”. He added, media “created panic” more than ever since the start of the coronavirus crisis by reporting the figures and deaths in a timely manner. “The population will realize soon enough that it has been deceived by the media,” he said at a live-streamed press conference calling COVID-19 “the little flu” on a national TV. Further, Brazil removed from public view months of coronavirus data as Bolsonaro defended official records to be limited to the government. 

The cumulative data does not reflect the moment the country is in, Bolsonaro was reported saying in a press address, adding, much of the media are spreading a feeling of fear by exploiting the large number of victims in Italy.

In a separate incident, outside Alvorada Palace, the president’s official residence in Brasilia Bolsonaro was reported saying, “Look, people of Brazil, these people say I’m wrong and that you should stay at home.” He was further recorded yelling at the group of journalists, saying, “Now what are you doing here? Aren’t you afraid of the coronavirus? Go home!”After the incident, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) head, Emmanuel Colombié, expressed disappointment, saying, that President Bolsonaro is targeting the messengers instead of the real enemy, according to local media reports. 

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