Published March 17, 2021, 2:08 PM
Gone are the days when COVID-19 was a “little flu” — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has changed his pandemic-skeptic tune lately, sacking his widely criticized health minister, ordering millions of vaccines and even wearing a mask.
But while a surge in coronavirus deaths in hard-hit Brazil has put the far-right leader on the defensive, analysts doubt he will change his hardline stance on some key issues anytime soon — including his vitriolic opposition to stay-at-home measures.
“I don’t see him making a definitive change. His beliefs are still the same,” said political scientist Geraldo Monteiro of Rio de Janeiro State University.