A common reaction when confronted with the latest truth-defying statement by Bolsonaro (or Trump) is to say: "Do they really believe that ?" or to laugh. I would gently suggest that both these understandable ways of dealing with disbelief are wrong.
Bolsonaro and Trump live in their own epistemological universe, where the standards of truth and morality which apply to most of the rest of us are irrelevant. They feel that they are above that sort of thing ; they make up their own truth and reality. Everything that they say and do has to be judged bearing this very disturbing fact in mind. There are circumstances in which laughter and ridicule are appropriate (I have deployed them in other blogposts). But there are other circumstances where ridicule tries to fill the gaping chasm between our own unexamined assumptions about the world and the things that, deep down, we are uneasily aware constitute a terrible reality.
Brazil's image of itself as a harmonious multi-racial society, as a Latin American 'melting pot', as developed by the sociologist Gilberto Freyre, was, as those who know much more about Brazil than I do, will tell you, always something of an illusion. It is impossible to believe that Bolsonaro has any desire whatsoever to protect the non-white citizens of Brazil. The cruel and irresponsible attitude of the Bolsonaro regime towards coronavirus in Brazil has been widely reported. (It has been said that the crowded living conditions of the poor in Brazil makes 'social distancing' impossible. But other Latin American countries have reported lower rates of infection, a notable example being Cuba, where its longstanding public health policies, and its army of contact tracers have protected the population against the virus).
However, this goes beyond irresponsibility. Bolsonaro has already made absolutely clear his contempt for the indigenous peoples of Brazil and their way of life. There can be absolutely no doubt that he regards the destruction of their environment as a priority, and so do his agribusiness supporters. There can be also absolutely no doubt that his policy towards the coronavirus is to let it spread and wreak its terrible ravages among the poorest. The conquistadors at least had the excuse that when their arrival in the Americas spread smallpox among the indigenous peoples they were unaware of the consequences of their actions. But Bolsonaro is fully aware of the terrible vulnerability of these peoples to the virus. Is this the reason for his culpable neglect in this crisis ? I have no evidence for this as a deliberate policy ; I merely pose the question. Previous Latin American governments, especially the military regimes which have been the objects of Bolsonaro's fulsome praise, have form when it comes to the systematic murder of their own people, particularly the most vulnerable. If this were a reasonable supposition, taking into account his previous behaviour, is this enough to put him in the dock at the International Criminal Court ? I merely pose the question.
It has become common to describe Bolsonaro's regime as 'authoritarian'. That description is true, but completely inadeqaute. I fear that, another more terrible word applies.