A Farewell to Arms: Brazilian Politics and Blame Avoidance during the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Abstract

Brazil was one of the countries most affected by COVID‐19. Many deaths could have been avoided by implementing severe non‐pharmaceutical interventions. Despite support for stay‐at‐home requirements and masking mandates from subnational authorities, the president actively pushed back against it. What are the consequences of the political pressures against measures to mitigate virus dissemination and the utmost prioritisation of short‐term economic consequences? The article demonstrates that the strategies of shifting blame for the subnational authorities on health issues, focusing on the minimisation of economic downturn, worsened COVID‐19 results, measured by cases and deaths, in jurisdictions that voted heavily for Bolsonaro.