News of Brazil's official death toll spiking to 5,000 did not faze President Jair Bolsonaro, who told reporters "so what" Tuesday night when asked about the record 474 deaths that day.
"I'm sorry, what do you want me to do?" he replied, according to The Guardian.
Bolsonaro has been slammed by the left and the right for downplaying the health risk and for delaying a rescue package for the economy as the death toll climbed – the virus has killed over 5,000 people in the country, the most in Latin America and more than China.
Experts expect the deaths to peak sometime in May.
Brazil has not employed a national lockdown, but some governors and mayors have implemented stay-at-home recommendations.
Amid the pandemic, Brazil's highest court has authorized a criminal investigation into whether Bolsonaro tried to manipulate the federal police for political gain, according to The Washington Post.
The president's actions have sparked fury – he initially rejected media hysteria over the virus' dangers and suggested Brazilians get back to work.
"Bolsonaro isn't just an awful politician and a bad president, he's a despicable human being," tweeted Marcelo Freixo, a leftwing opponent, according to the Guardian.
"It's a mockery. An insult. It is intolerable," tweeted Mariliz Pereira Jorge, a scriptwriter and commentator.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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