Brazil's Bolsonaro links pandemic to 'germ warfare'

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro links pandemic to ‘germ warfare’

President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday the novel coronavirus may have been made in a laboratory to wage “biological warfare,” in the latest comments likely to strain Brazil’s relations with China, AFP reports.

“It’s a new virus. Nobody knows whether it was born in a laboratory or because a human ate some animal they shouldn’t have,” said the far-right leader.

“But the military knows all about chemical, biological and radiological warfare. Could we be fighting a new war? I wonder. Which country’s GDP has grown the most?”

He did not name China, but the country where the pandemic began was the only G20 economy to grow last year, notching a 2.3 percent expansion.

Bolsonaro and his inner circle have a history of inflammatory comments on China that have sometimes aggravated relations with Brazil’s biggest trading partner.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/may/06/coronavirus-live-news-who-says-us-support-for-vaccine-patent-waiver-heroic-india-sees-new-case-record?page=with:block-60937a158f08ae30bfe058fc#block-60937a158f08ae30bfe058fc

[soothsayer]

1. Pretty pathetic response to this 'war' being waged against your country

If you think it’s an attack, maybe stop calling it a flu and do wear a mask and stop doing things like firing your version of fauci for being too popular.

[tanyev]

2. Oh, so it's not just a harmless flu now?

[peppertree]

3. This, sadly, has become a widespread belief in Latin America - among the left AND right

The left tends to believe that this is a plot to cull the elderly and disabled populations - especially those of color.

While the right tends to believe this is a Chinese plot to weaken the rest of the world's economy - leaving them stronger by comparison.

Some in the left in turn believe Trump released this virus in China, using mercenaries (as he did in the Gideon fiasco in Venezuela about the same time); while right-wingers prefer to believe ze Jews were behind it (and of course Bill Gates).

Something for everyone.