Double take as Brazil’s Bolsonaro hams it up with impersonator

FAN Editor
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro reacts before an inauguration ceremony of the new Culture Secretary Regina Duarte at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro reacts before an inauguration ceremony of the new Culture Secretary Regina Duarte (not pictured) at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

March 4, 2020

By Gabriel Stargardter

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro sent out a trumpet-playing, banana-throwing impersonator to work a crowd in Brasilia on Wednesday, before joining him for a standup routine in one of the most surreal moments of his unorthodox presidency.

Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain who has vowed to kick-start Brazil’s economy and end years of crime and graft, dodged questions on weak economic data during the bizarre scene, which was broadcast live on his Facebook page.

The impersonator, who donned a sash with the yellow and green of Brazil and mimicked Bolsonaro’s trademark drawl, was named by local media as comedian Marvio Lucio dos Santos Lourenco. Reuters was unable to confirm his identity.

As the impersonator greeted well-wishers and journalists gathered outside the president’s residence, he struck up a tune on a trumpet and threw bananas into the crowd, an apparent reference to a rude local gesture Bolsonaro has recently used.

When Bolsonaro appeared, journalists attempted to ask about data released on Wednesday showing that Brazil’s economy grew at its slowest pace in three years in the fourth quarter. The president seemed to direct the question to the impersonator, who was part of his official entourage.

The impersonator responded by repeatedly saying the name and nickname of Economy Minister Paulo Guedes – a Chicago-trained economist who has pledged to steady the economy and lower unemployment for the president.

Bolsonaro then proceeded to pat Lourenco on the back before taking selfies with the crowd along the barrier outside his residence. The two then shook hands and parted ways.

The oddball episode was one of the stranger moments of Bolsonaro’s time in office. With his folksy, avuncular style, and willingness to circumvent traditional media in favor of direct communication with his supporters via social media, some have even labeled him the “Trump of the Tropics.”

(Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter in Rio de Janeiro and Jake Spring in Brasilia; Editing by Alexander Smith)

Free America Network Articles

Leave a Reply

Next Post

Suspect in ambush shootings of officers indicted on 52 counts

Robert Williams allegedly went on a two-day rampage targeting police. March 4, 2020, 6:46 PM 6 min read A man suspected of ambushing New York City police officers during a shooting rampage last month was arraigned Wednesday on a 52-count indictment that includes multiple charges of attempted murder. The suspect, […]

You May Like