A Federal Judge has ordered Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a face mask or pay a daily fine of 2,000 reais (£310).
It is no longer news that President Bolsonaro has constantly shown a disregard for the safety guidelines imposed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. He has been spotted on several occasions wearing the face mask incorrectly or completely baring his face in public gatherings.
One of such instances was a floating Barbecue cruise where Bolsonaro was seen without a face mask.
However, the federal Judge said the President’s behaviour was disrespectful and endangers lives of the citizens he’s sworn to protect.
According to Judge Renato Coelho Borelli who gave the ruling, he said, no one is above the law and not even President Bolsonaro is an exception
“The president of the republic must take all necessary measures to avoid the transmission of Covid-19 – be that in order to protect his own health or that of those around him,”
“Even though there is no consensus within the medical/scientific community about the dissemination of Covid-19 by asymptomatic carriers, it is at best disrespectful to go out in public without using PPE – putting other people’s health at risk,”
“A straightforward Google search is enough to find numerous images of the defendant Jair Messias Bolsonaro moving around Brasília and the surrounding federal district without using a mask and exposing others to the spread of this infirmity that has caused a nationwide upheaval.”
“That’s to say, the president is constitutionally obliged to follow the country’s existing laws, as well as promote the wellbeing of the population, which means taking the necessary measures to … prevent the propagation of a virus that is spreading rapidly and often silently.”
“No one, not even the head of the executive, is above the constitution and laws of the republic,”
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