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Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, centre, takes part in a caravan of motorcycle enthusiasts who gathered in a show of support for Bolsonaro, in Sao Paulo, Brazil
BRAZIL'S President Jair Bolsonaro led thousands of motorcyclist supporters through the streets of Sao Paulo on Saturday — and was hit with a fine for failure to wear a mask in violation of local pandemic restrictions.
The far-right president waved to the crowd from his motorcycle and later from atop a sound truck, where helmeted but largely maskless backers cheered and chanted as he insisted that masks were useless for those already vaccinated — a claim disputed by most health experts.
Sao Paulo’s state government press office said a fine equivalent to about £78 would be imposed for violation of a rule that has required masks in public places since May 2020.
Sovereignty and the rule of law are under threat from Trump’s attacks on Lula’s administration just as they have been across Latin America, argue CARLOS MARTINEZ and SARA VIVACQUA
Far-right forces are rising across Latin America and the Caribbean, armed with a common agenda of anti-communism, the culture war, and neoliberal economics, writes VIJAY PRASHAD
