FOLLOW THE RULES

Judge Orders Bolsonaro to Wear a Mask or Face a Fine

Brazil has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, but its leader often violates social distancing rules in public appearances.

A Brazilian federal judge has ordered the country’s president to wear a mask. Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as a “little flu” and defied social distancing recommendations during public appearances, dismissing the severity of the new coronavirus even as rumors swirled he had it and the death toll in the country reached the second-highest in the world, 51,000. The judge said Bolsonaro faces a fine of $390 for failing to comply with the decree that everyone in Rio de Janeiro wear a mask. The judge wrote in a Monday ruling, “The president has a constitutional obligation to follow the laws in force in the country, as well as to promote the general welfare of the people, which means taking the necessary measures to protect citizens’ right to health.”