Brazil hits 500,000 COVID-19 deaths amid nationwide protests

By Gabriel Toueg

SAO PAULO (AA) - Brazil reached a grim milestone of half a million deaths from COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, the second-highest in the world after the US.

While the Senate is investigating the government’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people are participating in mass demonstrations against right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, calling for him to be impeached, the acceleration of vaccination drive, and emergency economic aid.

They bring together left-wing political parties and social movements, raising criticism for putting the population at risk by enabling the increase in the spread of COVID-19.

The country of over 213 million people has administered at least 85.39 million vaccine doses, according to Our World in Data, a tracking website. The number of COVID-19 cases is nearly 18 million.