MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brazil's second Health minister in a month resigns: “incompatibility” with Bolsonaro
Teich was taken by surprise when Bolsonaro issued a decree without consulting him that declared beauty salons and gyms “essential services” exempt from closures Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned on Friday after less than a month on the job over what an official said was “incompatibility” with President Jair Bolsonaro's approach to fighting the country's spiraling coronavirus crisis.
Teich, a 62-year-old oncologist, joined the far-right president's cabinet on Apr 17, the day after Bolsonaro sacked his predecessor, Luiz Henrique Mandetta.
Mandetta had also clashed with the president, a vocal critic of the stay-at-home measures the then-minister recommended to contain the new coronavirus.
Teich took over the post promising “total alignment” with the president, but rifts soon emerged. Teich and Bolsonaro “were incompatible on certain courses of action,” a ministry source revealed.
Teich was taken by surprise last week when Bolsonaro issued a decree without consulting him that declared beauty salons and gyms “essential services” exempt from business closures.
The final straw for Teich was reportedly a disagreement with Bolsonaro over using chloroquine to treat the virus.
Like US President Donald Trump, to whom he is often compared, Bolsonaro touts the drug as a promising treatment. He wants it cleared for widespread use in patients,
despite studies casting doubt on its effectiveness and raising concerns about its safety.
The health ministry announced Teich's resignation in a brief statement, saying he would hold a press conference later. The news drew anti-Bolsonaro protests in various cities. Residents banged pots and pans out their windows, shouting “Get out, Bolsonaro!”
Brazil has emerged as one of the countries hit hardest in the pandemic, with a sharply rising death toll that has reached nearly 14,000. The country has more than 200,000 confirmed cases. Experts say under-testing means the real figures may be 15 times higher or more.
The president insists business closures and stay-at-home measures are unnecessarily wrecking the economy, which is on track to shrink 5.3% this year, according to the IMF.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
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Read all commentsTo lose one health minister may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness.
May 16th, 2020 - 09:09 pm +1Jair Bolsonaro continues on a path of destruction playing roulette with the lives of his country people.
May 17th, 2020 - 12:02 am 0Those who helped Bolsonaro to obtain Brazil's presidency (such as Sergio Moro) are as guilty as this criminal who does not blink while sacrificing the lives of so many Brazilians.
EM
May 17th, 2020 - 09:59 pm 0With all due respect, how about informing yourself a bit better before making the ridiculous claim that Moro helped Bolsonaro get elected ?
Moro was quiet in his corner, doing his thing - putting corrupt SOBs behind bars, including your 9-fingered hero (which would have happened anyway, even if Moro weren't the presiding judge) - and only after Bolsonaro had been elected, he invited Moro to become Minister.....so, I ask you, did Moro campaign for Bolsonaro ? No, he didn't....you don't even know whom he voted for....
You can keep on worshipping 9-fingers if you want, but please don't make silly claims.
Just to set the record straight, for future reference, I do not condone Bolsonaro's public behaviour, nor his ideas on how to deal with the virus...
DT
Immediately after Teich took over as Mandetta's substitute, I told my wife, “he won't last aa month unless he forgets he's a doctor and decides to play politics”....said and done.
The new Minister - still to be appointed - will only survive if he's politician or a really shitty doctor.
All I'll say is that I'm glad that the STF gave Governors and Mayors the right to decide about isolation.
On a happier note, how's your daughter coming along ??
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