COVID-19
Bolsonaro fires head of Brazil’s federal police amid political spat
RIO DE JANEIRO, April 24 (Reuters) - President Jair Bolsonaro has fired the head of Brazil's federal police, according to an announcement in the official government gazette on Friday, making a risky political reshuffle as the coronavirus outbreak spreads deeper into the country.
Bolsonaro has been tussling with Sergio Moro, who had appointed the police chief, Mauricio Valeixo. The political spat comes as the coronavirus outbreak begins to gather steam in Brazil, where Bolsonaro has faced widespread criticism for his handling of the outbreak.
The firing of Valeixo caps the end of a turbulent 24 hours in the capital Brasilia. When news of Bolsonaro’s move to push out Valeixo emerged on Thursday, Moro considered quitting in protest, according to a source with knowledge of his plans.
But later on Thursday, the two men appeared to have come to an understanding, and Moro said he would stay if he got to pick Valeixo’s successor, the same source said. It remains to be seen if Moro will get his wish. (Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
"Information pertaining to Covid-19, vaccines, how to control the spread of the virus and potential treatments is ever-changing. Under the South African Disaster Management Act Regulation 11(5)(c) it is prohibited to publish information through any medium with the intention to deceive people on government measures to address COVID-19. We are therefore disabling the comment section on this article in order to protect both the commenting member and ourselves from potential liability. Should you have additional information that you think we should know, please email [email protected]"