Brazilian President Bolsonaro accused of 'crimes against humanity' by healthcare union

A coalition of health professionals in Brazil denounced President Jair Bolsonaro for his handling of coronavirus outbreak which has claimed over 87,000 lives so far, accusing of committing "crimes against humanity" and "genocide" in a judicial complaint to the International Court of Justice. They accused the Brazilian President of neglect and contempt by promoting large gatherings, medication like hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19 without any scientific proof, and venturing into public without a mask.

The complaint to the ICJ, The Hague, has been signed by Brazilian Union Network UNISaúde, a coalition that represents more than a million health workers in Brazil, and supported by unions and international entities. Bolsonaro has been repeatedly downplaying the seriousness of the disease and ignoring crucial warnings from health authorities.

Marcio Monzane, regional secretary of UNI Americas, said in a statement that the government should be blamed for “its callous action in the face of the pandemic and for refusing to protect Brazil's health workers as well as the population, which he promised to defend when he became president." According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center, Brazil has reported over 2.4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus with over 87,000 deaths related to it, second-highest in the world.

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Disregard for COVID-19 measures

During the early phase of the virus outbreak, the Brazilian leader termed it as “little flu” and refused to impose strict lockdowns across the country to contain the spread. He even came down heavily on media for sparking “sense of dread” and “hysteria” over the coronavirus pandemic. 

There have been several incidents in the past when Bolsonaro neglected social distancing measures and even targeted Brazilian authorities including governors and mayors for adopting the measures suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO). He himself escaped a close scare in March when his press secretary tested positive withing days of meeting US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

A leading medical journal recently said that Bolsonaro perhaps remains the biggest threat to the country’s coronavirus response. The Lancet, in the scathing piece, highlighted Bolsonaro’s blatant disregard for sensible measures of physical distancing and lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

Read: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Tests COVID-19 Positive For Third Time

(Image credit: AP)