Like many others across the world, Brazilians have been looking at their government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic with a mix of frustration, anger and confusion. While the country was climbing the global ranking, both in terms of caseload and death toll — the world’s third and second largest, respectively — its president, Jair Bolsonaro, continued to undermine the situation. When asked by journalists about the spiralling infections in May, he responded: “So what? What do you want me to do?”
But with the curve now sliding down and economic prospects improving, Brazil feels more optimistic. For many, from policy-makers to businesspeople and financiers, the debate has moved to more hopeful ground, attempting to draw conclusions on what worked best during the emergency and how they can build on it.
