The past year has been catastrophic for Brazil. The country not only lost 300,000 people to COVID-19 but also found itself in a deep political and economic crisis.

President Jair Bolsonaro, whose anti-science response to the pandemic led to calls for him to be tried for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, is facing increasing pressure from governors across the country to start taking the crisis seriously and ramp up vaccination. The far-right president’s supporters, meanwhile, are regularly protesting in large numbers against the measures put in place by governors to stem the spread of the virus. The crisis has also had a significant negative impact on the country’s economy. The unemployment rate is expected to stand at 14.6 percent in 2021 – the highest in the country’s recent history.

Full article at Al Jazeera’s website. Date of publication: 25/03/2021.