Brazil President's Third Health Minister is Sworn In
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:30 am
Brazil's Health Minister Gen. Eduardo Pazuelo, center, arrives to attend a ceremony at the Planalto Presidential Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Sept. 16, 2020.
General Eduardo Pazuello has become Brazil's third health minister after taking the job on an interim basis in April.
Pazuello, who has no health credentials, was officially sworn in Wednesday at the Planalto Palace, in the country's capital, Brasilia.
Pazuello first became health minister following the resignations of the previous ministers after being at odds with President Jair Bolsonaro over policies to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
President Bolsonaro, who has been infected with the coronavirus, has always downplayed its threat, clashing with local leaders who imposed restrictions to curb the spread of the virus, saying the measures hurt the economy.
During the ceremony Wednesday, Bolsanaro repeated his support for a controversial anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, which most experts reject as an effective treatment for the coronavirus.
Brazil has the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Latin America, with more than 4 million cases and more than 134,400 deaths.