MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonaro criticized for being on holiday amid Bahia rainfall crisis

Bolsonaro is under criticism even for doing nothing

Brazilian opposition lawmakers Tuesday voiced their disapproval of President Jair Bolsonaro being on holiday for New Year's Jubileum while the state of Bahia was still trying to recover from the lethal consequences of unprecedented storms which have left some 20 people dead after other victims have died after the weekend and thousands remained evacuated from their homes.

The hashtag “#Shameless Bolsonaro” made of the Brazilian head of state a TT (trending topic) with over 50,000 negative mentions for turning a blind eye to the situation in Bahia, which ”suffers a terrible emergency while the president enjoys his vacation as if nothing were happening; Brazil cannot close its eyes to its compatriots at this time of pain and need!,” wrote Senator Fabio Contarato, of the opposition Workers' Party (PT).

Deputy Marcelo Freixo, from Brazil's Socialist Party (PSB) considered that the situation is “the portrait of a country without a government” and posted a picture of Bolsonaro fishing and a man swimming in the floods.

Bahia Governor Rui Costa has warned of an unprecedented disaster due to the floods. The emergency situation has already been decreed in 72 cities, 58 of which are under water.

Read also: 18 dead, over 11,000 evacuated due to unprecedented rainfall in Brazil

Criticism also came rightwing Deputy Kim Kataguiri, of the Democratic Party: “I do not understand the criticism of Bolsonaro for being on vacation, he is doing the same thing he does when he is not on vacation: nothing.”

Outrage at Bolsonaro increased after he released videos of himself fishing, riding a jet ski and greeting supporters on the beach. The president and First Lady Michele are on vacation in a military compound in São Francisco do Sul in the southern state of Santa Catarina, where they intend to spend New Year's Eve.

The Brazilian government said it would allocate R $ 200 million (US $ 35.5 million) to relief works in Bahia and other states affected by unprecedented bad weather over the past few days. Planalto Palace sources said in a statement Bolsonaro himself had approved the relief funds for the states of Bahia, Amazonas, Minas Gerais , Pará and São Paulo.

According to Infrastructure Minister Tarcísio de Freitas the bulk of those funds (R $ 80 million reais, or US $ 14.2 million) will go to the state of Bahia.