Bolsonaro urges Brazilians back to work, dismisses coronavirus 'hysteria'
SAO PAULO/BRASILIA - Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro patched up a diplomatic spat with China on Tuesday, agreeing in a call with President Xi Jinping to fight the spread of coronavirus together as Brazil’s largest city went into its first day of lockdown.
Economic prospects are worsening for Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, amid the pandemic as data showed consumer confidence falling to a three-year low in March. Retail sales in January declined at the fastest rate in over a year, indicating consumer spending was off to a weak start in 2020, even before the coronavirus outbreak.
Buses still ran and construction was allowed to continue in a bid to avoid complete economic collapse in Brazil’s financial hub. Restaurants were open for takeout and delivery workers whizzed through the thinning traffic on bikes and scooters. A woman wearing a protective face mask walks in front of Banco do Brasil cultural building during the coronavirus disease outbreak in Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Amanda PerobelliWaiting for a train in a usually packed station, Antonio Lima, 50, said he was worried about what the virus might mean for his small construction business.
The president said on Twitter that his call with Xi that morning included a discussion of how to grow the two countries’ trade relationship. China is Brazil’s largest trading partner and the top buyer of Brazilian soy, beef and other raw commodities.
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