BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta will continue in his post, three government sources including a minister told Reuters on Monday following a cabinet meeting with President Jair Bolsonaro, who has disagreed with Mandetta over the need for social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Mandetta, a doctor by training, openly contradicted the far-right president who has minimized the danger of the epidemic and opposed lockdowns that are stalling the economy.
The minister’s stance, however, has received widespread support, which irked Bolsonaro and led him to say last week: “Nobody should forget that I’m the president.”
(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Sandra Maler)
