Brazil's Bolsonaro wants borders reopened amid coronavirus pandemic

EVARISTO SA / AFP

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has announced his willingness to restart the economy despite the coronavirus threat.

A day after firing his health minister over a rift surrounding lockdown measures, he called for the reopening of the country's borders.

The leader, however, conceded that he may be blamed it the health crisis worsened and that he doesn't have the power to relax lockdown measures already in place.

Bolsonaro said he had held talks Justice Minister Sergio Moro about the possibility of reopening land borders, particularly those with Uruguay and Paraguay, following a shutdown last month to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"Opening trade is a risk that I take, because if (the outbreak) gets worse, it will fall on my lap," he said.

So far, the country has 33,682 confirmed cases and 2,141 fatalities, with health experts claiming the cases haven't peaked yet.

More from International News

  • Rome and the world bid farewell to Pope Francis

    Presidents, royalty and simple mourners bade farewell to Pope Francis on Saturday at a solemn funeral ceremony, where a cardinal appealed for the pontiff's legacy of caring for migrants, the downtrodden and the environment to be kept alive.

  • Trump, Zelenskyy meet in Vatican basilica to seek Ukraine peace

    US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica on Saturday to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia's war with Ukraine.

  • Large explosion hits port in southern Iran

    A large explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, killing at least four people and injuring more than 500.

  • Funeral of Pope Francis begins

    Pope Francis' wooden coffin was carried into St. Peter's Square on Saturday at the start of a funeral Mass attended by a multitude of mourners, including world leaders, pilgrims and prelates.

Blogs