Coronavirus: Brazil Swears In Military General Eduardo Pazuello As 3rd Health Minister

Brazil officially swore in General Eduardo Pazuello, the administration’s third health minister on Wednesday, formally signing in a military general with no health credentials to run the sprawling Federal health department.

General Eduardo Pazuello was sworn in with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and assembled government officials applauding in a formal ceremony at the Planalto Palace in the country’s capital.

Pazzuello trained as a parachutist at the Agujas Negras Military Academy and specialized in aerospace policies and strategies. He was a logistics expert in the military, with almost no experience in the health field.

He becomes health minister after two previous minsters resigned from the Bolsonaro government after clashing with the president over health policy.

Brazil has the third largest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world, over 4 million, with 133,000 deaths to date. Patchwork health policies throughout the country have contributed to the high numbers of infections.

President Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the virus, dismissing it as a “small flu,” and touting unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug most experts dismiss as ineffective as a treatment for Covid-19.

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