Issue and opponent: Healthcare workers targeted President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the COVID09 pandemic. President Bolsonaro was very loose in his efforts to protect the public from COVID09. Bolsonaro did not support widespread mask-wearing in public spaces and advocated that only the sick and elderly comply with quarantine measures.
Dilemma Action: On Tuesday, May 12th, 2020 on the Esplanada dos Ministérios in Brasília. The day of the action is important because it was Nursing Day, an important day to recognize the hard work and contributions of nurses. Organizers erected a giant inflated puppet of President Bolsonaro with bloody hands. In Portuguese the name of the giant puppet is a Pixuleco. Below the pimlico, people wore white lab coats and protective face masks and held a banner with a line from a play by Bertolt Brecht. The line from the play (translated) is, “Those who wash their hands in a basin of blood”.
Outcome: Now President Bolsonaro is under investigation by the Brazilian Senate for politicizing the pandemic and failing to secure vaccines for the country. Bolsonaro’s popularity has also decreased as a result of his lack of response to COVID. The artist who created the Pixuleco of President Bolsonaro was Raphael Sebba. He had previously created other similar pieces such as a vampire doll of former President Michel Temer. Other protests in efforts to condemn Bolsonaro’s pandemic response included a large protest where protesters blocked a major avenue in Sao Paulo.