Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian President Security Details Jair Bolsonaro allegedly used violence against Brazilian journalists who included their journey to Rome for groups of 20 major economic meetings, local media reported on Sundays.
The alleged attack on Brazilian journalists, which Bolsonaro had long accused of treating him unfairly and publishing false news, limiting a gloomy weekend to a distant president.
Videos of the G20 show showed him as an isolated figure, which was not part of the photo taken at Trevi fountains with world leaders.
Out on Rome’s streets, he was criticized because of the handling of the country’s brutal pandemic, with critics calling him “genocidal.” More than 600,000 people have died of Covid-19 in Brazil, the second highest calculation in the world after the United States.
Bolsonaro has questioned the severity of the virus, sturdy shunned, doubting the vaccine and encouraging unclean drugs.
A senate panel has recommended him indicted because nine crimes related to handling pandemics, including crimes against humanity.
The O Globo newspaper reported that Leonardo Monteiro’s broadcast journalist from TV Globo was hit in the stomach and was driven by Bolsonaro’s security after asking the president why he did not attend the G20 event on Sunday.
Videos taken by Journalist UOL Jamil Chade showed chaotic scenes with security staff who encouraged the Press supporters and Bolsonaro singing harassment to reporters.
It is not clear whether security officers are Brazil or Italy.
O Globo reported that the Italian had been given a job to provide security to Bolsonaro.
The President’s office did not immediately respond to the request to comment on the attack or why he was missing from the photo of the leaders.
The G20 press team also did not immediately respond to requests.
“Globo loudly condemned the aggression of Leonardo Monteiro’s correspondent and other colleagues in Rome and demanded a responsibility assessment,” TV Globo said in a statement.
The video of the G20 show shows Bolsonaro looks isolated.
Former Army captain has seen international support reduced since former US President Donald Trump lost the re-election, while Bolsonaro’s skepticism against Covid-19, vaccines and environmental problems have won several friends on the global stage.
In one video taken by Jamil Chade, Bolsonaro looked striking conversations with Italian servants as a global leader chatting among them in other parts of the room.
“The Bolsonaro video went alone in the G20 conference room, while other world leaders chatted, were very painful to watch, but quite reflecting the collapse of standing in the world,” Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at Getulio Foundation Vargas, Brazil University, Tweeted.