Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for the coronavirus.
After months of downplaying the dangers of the disease, as the United States begins its withdrawal from the World Health Organization despite logging a record number of new infections.
Bolsonaro, who said he had experienced only mild symptoms so far, said he was feeling “perfectly well” as he removed his mask in a TV interview Tuesday to announce his diagnosis.
The far-right leader has consistently ignored virus containment measures such as social distancing despite Brazil being the world’s second-worst hit country with more than 66,000 dead.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro says he's taking hydroxychloroquine to tackle coronavirus pic.twitter.com/0jq4UgyscX
— The Sun (@TheSun) July 8, 2020
Brazil accounts for the lion’s share of infections in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the caseload has now surpassed three million, according to an AFP tally.