Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he regretted some of his harsh statements on the covid-19 pandemic, in a rare apology in the midst of the campaign, three weeks before the presidential election.
During an interview of more than four hours for evangelical podcasts on Monday night, the head of state admitted to having “lost his mind” when he launched “I am not a gravedigger”, when questioned in 2020 about the number of deaths from covid.
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“I’m a human being, I’m sorry for what I said, I wouldn’t say it again,” insisted the far-right president, in response to a question from Felipe Vilela, an evangelical rapper who said he was “sad” by those statements by the president, the next day of the death of his father-in-law.
President Bolsonaro also said that he regrets having sent those who asked for vaccines against covid-19 to “his mother’s house” to buy in 2021.
Brazil was the second worst hit country in the world by the pandemic in nominal figures, with more than 680,000 dead.
(You can read: Brazil: Bolsonarist kills Lula follower after political discussion)
“I am the head of state. I know. I am sorry. I would not say it again (…). You can see that since a year ago my behavior has changed. I am learning in this position,” he said.
Nevertheless, Bolsonaro did not retract his comments on vaccines that “they can transform (people) into alligators”, arguing that it was “a figure of speech”.
On the other hand, he admitted being “wrong” to say in 2017, before assuming the presidency, that he had fathered a girl after four boys “in a moment of weakness.”
Regularly branded sexist or racist, Bolsonaro also made an ironic comment about the color of Felipe Vilela’s skin.
(Keep reading: Bolsonaro will go to the UN General Assembly as an electoral campaign plan)
“Are you of African descent? You’re a bit dark, aren’t you? Oh no, it’s a crime to say that. Haven’t you heard that I’m racist?”
AFP
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