Brazil Establishes COVID-19 Memorial Day, Lula Criticizes Former President's Pandemic Mismanagement

(Central News Agency reporter Tang Ya-ling, São Paulo, 11th exclusive report) Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva today signed a decree at the presidential palace, designating March 12th each year as the 'National COVID-19 Victims Memorial Day' to mourn the more than 700,000 Brazilians who died during the pandemic. This move not only has symbolic and educational significance but also reignites scrutiny of former President Jair Bolsonaro's pandemic prevention policies.

Brazil's news website G1 reported that the new law originates from March 12, 2020, when Brazil recorded its first COVID-19 (2019 novel coronavirus disease) death. According to statistics from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, as of August 2025, Brazil has accumulated over 716,000 deaths from COVID-19, making it one of the countries most severely affected by the pandemic globally. The year 2021 was the deadliest, with over 420,000 deaths.

In his speech, Lula directly stated that the number of deaths could have been reduced if the government at the time had followed the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and experts. He criticized the Bolsonaro government for its 'absolute ignorance' in vaccine procurement, frequent changes in health ministers, and the promotion of controversial drugs like chloroquine. Lula also singled out Bolsonaro's son, former congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, calling him a 'fugitive' and accusing him of attempting to incite subversion of Brazilian democracy while in the United States.

During the ceremony, First Lady Janja da Silva also recalled the pain of her mother's death from COVID-19, criticizing the government's lack of support for protective measures such as masks at the time. She stated: 'I will never forget, this is the meaning of memory.'

Proposer, Congressman Pedro Uczai, and rapporteur, Senator Humberto Costa, both pointed out that the memorial day is not only for remembrance but also for educating future generations to avoid repeating past mistakes.

According to the report, Brazil's pandemic prevention controversies remain a focus of political and social discussion. The Lula government, through legislative commemoration, seeks to institutionalize collective memory and demand accountability to ensure that such tragedies do not recur. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150512

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