Brazil's president takes selfies with supporters amid coronavirus pandemic

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ignored his own warning against attending large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, greeting supporters on Sunday with handshakes and fist bumps and grabbing their phones to take selfies.

Last Thursday, Bolsonaro repeated guidance from health officials, telling Brazilians to avoid events with lots of people. He changed his tune on Sunday, when his fans held demonstrations in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and other cities in support of his political agenda, Reuters reports. While meeting with some outside of the presidential palace, he called their devotion "priceless," and said while he "suggested" a postponement in large gatherings, "I can't order anything because this protest isn't mine. With everything against them — the press, the virus, the recommendation — the people took to the streets."

Bolsonaro recently led an entourage to Florida to meet with President Trump, and at least seven members of his delegation have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. Both Bolsonaro and Trump have said they tested negative for the virus, but a Brazilian newspaper reports Bolsonaro's doctors urged him to self-quarantine for several days.

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Several Brazilian politicians were outraged by Bolsonaro's behavior on Sunday, with House Speaker Rodrigo Maia calling it "an attack against public health." There are now 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Brazil, and Senate President Davi Alcolumbre said it was "reckless to stimulate gatherings in the streets."