Brazil ex-president on Bolsonaro, virus, economy

In home isolation just months after his release from jail, Brazil's former leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged President Jair Bolsonaro to change his approach to the new coronavirus.

He also criticized Bolsonaro for his attitude towards China throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

The former president known as Lula said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday that said there needs to be a greater solidarity and cooperation between nations in efforts to curb the impacts of the coronavirus.

Da Silva, who governed between 2003 and 2010 at time when Brazil's economy was strong, acknowledged that Bolsonaro is unlikely to heed growing opposition calls to step down and that there are not enough votes in congress for impeachment.

Some people in several regions that voted massively for Bolsonaro in the 2018 elections have shown their disillusionment with him by pot-banging for more than two weeks.

The president's downplaying of the outbreak puts him at odds with almost all of the country's 27 governors.

About 700 people have died from the COVID-19 disease in Brazil so far, and there are almost 14,000 confirmed cases, the most in Latin America. Brazil expects a peak in virus cases in late April or early May.

Last month, da Silva praised Sao Paulo Governor João Doria, a former ally of the president, for imposing restrictions designed to curb the spread of the virus.

Bolsonaro, who frequently refers to da Silva as a "former inmate," then said in a radio interview that he feels embarrassed when conservative politicians who have turned on him during the crisis receive praise from the leftist leader.

Da Silva, a 74-year-old cancer survivor, is in isolation with his girlfriend and two dogs in the city of São Bernardo do Campo, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, since returning from a trip to Europe.

He said he has not had any symptoms of the virus, nor been tested, and is meeting with very few politicians.

Most of his conversations are now online.

The former president said his 580 days in jail have helped him cope better with health recommendations to remain home. He is free while appealing corruption and money laundering convictions, which he says are politically motivated.

Bolsonaro has challenged recommendations of the World Health Organization and of his own health ministry on social distancing and other measures to curb the virus.

He has repeatedly called COVID-19 "a little flu."

Former President sa Silva believes Brazil might need to print money to avoid the closing of businesses and social chaos.

Brazil's economy has suffered since 2015, with about 12 million people unemployed and three times as many in the informal sector and working gigs.

Da Silva's prescription runs counter to the ideology running through Bolsonaro's administration, led by the University of Chicago-trained Economy Minister Paulo Guedes. After his appointment, he promised to shrink both the size and influence of the state through vast privatizations and by reining in state-bank lending.

Since the outbreak, there has been some recognition of the need to provide financial relief.

Among other things, state bank Caixa Economica Federal slashed interest rates on overdrafts and credit card installments, and the government allowed people to withdraw the equivalent of one month's minimum wage from retirement accounts.

It also approved monthly payments of 117 US dollars to help keep low-income workers afloat, which are expected to begin Thursday.

Still, it isn't enough, da Silva said. He added that support for possibly printing money isn't radical, but rather a necessary measure in a desperate circumstance.

Brazilian leftist politicians of different parties, including da Silva's Workers' Party, published a letter last week calling for Bolsonaro's resignation over his management during the pandemic.

The former president didn't sign it, but said his views are clear.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.