Assembly Leader Abdullah Shahid announced Wednesday that all attendees must be vaccinated to speak at the meeting, citing New York City policy. This circumstance could hinder Bolsonar, the leader of the Brazilian far-right, who is trying to restore his image abroad.
Bolsonaro plans to travel to New York to participate in the Assembly, his press service told the Associated Press, but representatives of the head of state did not answer questions about the vaccination situation. Bolsonaro told his supporters on Tuesday that he had not yet received the vaccine.
It is not yet clear how this rule will be applied. Officials from Shahid and UN Secretary General António Guterres said discussions were ongoing, while Guterres spokesman Stefan Dujarric suggested there might be “a solution acceptable to all.”
The question of whether Bolsonaro will eventually be vaccinated – or received an immunizing agent in secret – is still the subject of speculation in Brazil, where more than 588,000 people have already died from COVID-19.
In absolute numbers, Brazil is the second country in the world with the highest number of deaths after the United States.
Vaccination against the disease in Brazil is now progressing at a faster pace after a slow start, which has led to a significant decrease in the number of deaths in the country.
Recognized around the world for its ability to carry out massive immunization campaigns in record time, this country of 213 million began vaccination against covid-19 only in mid-January, more than a month after most European countries or neighboring Argentina.
When vaccines were about to be released late last year, Jair Bolsonaro was adamant, repeatedly stating that he would not receive an immunizer and would not force anyone to do so.
“I’m not going to get vaccinated, period,” the head of state said in December. In April, the agent said that he would only decide whether he received the antidote “after the last Brazilian has been vaccinated and whether the vaccines remain.”
The reference to personal freedom is coupled with his widespread resistance to restrictions imposed by governors to stem the spread of the virus. Bolsonaro, skeptical of the severity of the pandemic and a proponent of ineffective drugs for the disease, goes on to say that no one should be prevented from “coming and going” when they want.
In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, Bolsonaro protested against socialism and what he called a press sensation over the Amazon fires.
The following year, in a recorded video, Bolsonaro claimed that Brazil was the victim of environmental misinformation and highlighted the economic damage caused by the recommendations of social exclusion in the face of the pandemic.
This year, more than 100 heads of state and 23 ministers plan to speak in person at the UN. Other leaders will speak via video, the only option available last year.
Traditionally, the Brazilian leader speaks first, followed by his North American counterpart. The Bolsonaro administration is working to demonstrate to Joe Biden (USA) its commitment to curbing deforestation in the Amazon, a topic that could be addressed in his speech.