 The list of atrocities committed by the current Brazilian government of Jair Bolsonaro is long to say the least. Encouraging deforestation that led to the devastating fires in the Amazon last year and then blaming Leonardo DiCaprio? No, I'm not kidding. Other items on the list include disrespect if not content for indigenous rights, disparagement of Brazilian immigrants in the US, applauding the use of torture, misogynism, racism and homophobia. Wait a minute, racism, homophobia, torture? It's almost as if I'm reminded of someone. Oh yes, I remember. They asked me, why do you think about waterboarding Mr. Trump? I said I love it. Trump and Bolsonaro seem to see eye to eye on many things. After years of initiative that gave Brazil an independent leading role in South American integration and in world affairs, Bolsonaro has placed Brazil once again squarely in the US fold. Bolsonaro has even allowed what the Brazilian military avoided during the US-backed dictatorship in the 60s and 70s. He signed an agreement with Trump that allows US rocket companies to operate in Brazil. The Alcantara Launching Center, as it is closer to the equator, allows for a 30% reduction of costs for any spacecraft that is launched into orbit. However, US use of the base raises serious questions about national sovereignty, as US military activity will need to take place inside the base without Brazilian supervision in order to safeguard US intellectual property. Even more alarming, however, is that as this project moves forward, Killingbola populations are being displaced. Quilombos in Brazil are historic settlements created by fugitive slaves. Some of these Quilombos, along with our cultural values and environmental practices dating back hundreds of years, are now at the risk of disappearing. Okay, so we get it. Trump and Bolsonaro don't care about traditional culture, don't care about human rights, don't care about the environment. What else do they see eye to eye on? I really think that you want to treat this like you treat the flu, right? And, you know, it's going to be, it's going to be... I wouldn't need to worry about it. I wouldn't feel anything, or I wouldn't be when it's too much of a flu or cold. The coronavirus is producing a new divide in politics worldwide. Political moderates and progressive favor greater caution in the face of the seriousness of the coronavirus crisis. In contrast, conservatives and rightists are generally calling for the reopening of the country and lifting restrictive measures such as lockdowns. In doing so, they are showing their true colors, the economy and profits ahead of human lives. But to be more precise, and it feels strange saying this, but Trump is actually better than Bolsonaro when it comes to COVID-19 pandemic. And for many Brazilians, this is the last straw. Since February 26, when Brazil recorded its first coronavirus case, Bolsonaro has continually minimized the pandemic, rejecting media hysteria over its dangers and suggesting that Brazilians have such a strong immune system that they could swim in excrement and nothing will happen. But the facts speak for themselves. Brazil is quickly becoming a global hotspot surpassing the numbers of deaths reported by China. Indeed, two recent studies indicate that Brazil will be the new global epicenter of the pandemic. The researchers compare the epidemic curves of Brazil and the US, the current epicenter, and so that the death rates follow an exponential increase similar to that in the US. To give just one example of the gravity of the situation in the Brazilian state capital city of Recife, COVID-19 patients have a waiting time of one week to get a bed in ICU. One week. It is also extremely troublesome for the indigenous peoples of Brazil that the COVID-19 has spread rapidly to native communities, some living in isolation in the Amazon basin with no protection against the virus. Indigenous peoples face a double menace since their lands are being illegally invaded by miners and loggers. The illegal occupiers pose the threat of spreading the coronavirus among the indigenous inhabitants of the region. Bolsonaro believes in vertical isolation, which is a domestic shielding of the elderly and the at-risk groups. Experts fear that this policy will cost more deaths. He even fired his health minister because he promoted stricter measures to contain the virus. Bolsonaro's popularity, low to begin with by the end of last year, has further dropped as a result of his handling of the pandemic. Although he still has his fans. Hi, Bolsonaro! Hey, did you hear about Bolsonaro said about Brazilians? He didn't say that. Yeah, of course he did. That's not his voice. Of course it is. He didn't mean that. Yeah, he did. He was suggesting that Brazilians may already have antibodies that could help COVID-19 not to proliferate. It's not a big deal. What do you mean it's not a big deal? Of course it is. I'm sure somebody else has said something worse. And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that? Injection. But Bolsonaro's problems go beyond the virus, as his presidency faces a significant political crisis. Executive tensions with local and regional governments has intensified and now include Bolsonaro's former ally, Joao Doria, government of Sao Paulo, and also Sergio Moro, who was a key political ally for Bolsonaro and former justice of public security minister. Moro resigned as minister and showed the federal police copies of the WhatsApp messages that he exchanged with the president. This communication apparently demonstrates that Bolsonaro pressured Moro to remove Mauricio Valencia from the post of director of the federal police. So basically he said that Bolsonaro was trying to fire him in order to protect two of his sons from criminal investigations. Indeed, the federal police is conducting several investigations of both sons and several members of their inner circle. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, one of the sons, is also under investigation for an alleged money laundering scheme. The case connects him directly with a gaster who was the key suspect in the assassination of Rio City Council member, Marielle Franco. This political turmoil could lead to Bolsonaro's impeachment or his resignation if he loses support of the military. But his endless irrational comments makes you think that maybe in his mind impeachment could turn him into a victim, a victim of fake news, victim of opposition parties, victim of the establishment. Oh wait, someone else comes to my mind again. Bolsonaro is definitely a polarizing figure, but some polarizing head of states count on the support of half of the country while the other half ardently reject them. But with Bolsonaro, this is more like 30% in favor and 70% passionately opposed. With the coronavirus crisis, the 70% have more reason than ever to put a resistance to a precedent that is beyond the can of anything rational. Meanwhile, among the people of Brazil, solidarity grows, social movement throughout the country have taken initiative to help the most vulnerable sectors during the pandemic. Their actions include distributing locally produced food and hygiene products as well as providing medical and psychological support. So I asked my friend Alexandre Concesal to talk a little bit about this. Hello, Michelle. It's a great pleasure to be here with you. We decided that solidarity should be a daily practice to practice solidarity all the time. Our poor people are dying of hunger, hunger has come back with a lot of violence in this sense of lack of food, of lack of income. Therefore, we at MST are being solidarity, making our part, contributing to the poor and poor population distributing food. This week, we distributed around 1,500 tons of food. In addition, in several capitals, we are distributing to the most poor populations. Coffee, lunch and dinner every day and guiding people who don't have to go anywhere, don't even have to eat, can even take care of their genes to fight the coronavirus. So solidarity is that. It's a daily practice that we are working on to fight the coronavirus and hunger and the economic crisis and the social crisis we are going through. While our heads of states are joining forces to defend their special interests, we stand in solidarity with the people of Brazil. You know, we deserve a different kind of hemisphere, one that is based on peace, cooperation and solidarity. Help us build a new good neighbor policy where we can work together for our common good and overcome this pandemic challenge along with all others in the Americas.