“As people can express themselves, [mas] criticizing my coming to Portugal is absolutely unfounded. I have come here to Portugal several times and today I come as a representative of the federal government, as a minister of state for Health “of a country that has a” relationship that transcends these manifestations”, considered in an interview with Lusa in Lisbon.

Today, dozens of Brazilians gathered today in front of the Santa Maria hospital, in Lisbon, to protest against the presence of the Brazilian minister of Health at a conference on Brazil’s response to the covid-19 pandemic.

“For us it is appalling that the minister is decorated in an important medical school like this one, inside the hospital in Santa Maria,” said the leader of Coletivo Andorinho Marisie Damin, one of about 40 people who demonstrated at the door this morning. entrance to the Lisbon hospital.

In an interview with Lusa, the minister downplayed a controversy: “I came at the invitation of the University of Lisbon to discuss here with the scientific academic community in an open and transparent manner” and now the goal is to “continue this great collaboration between Brazil and Portugal”.

For the protesters, the “minister is one of those responsible for the more than 600,000 deaths, he opposed and still opposes the use of a mask, which is the basic principle of protection. [contra a covid-19]”, added the Brazilian leader, stressing that “the `minister of death` is indicted for the crime of negligence, at the very least”.

Shortly after, wearing a mask and in an interview with Lusa, the government official insisted that he has all the sanitary measures indicated.

“We have done everything possible to mitigate this tragedy,” he said.

The country is one of the most affected by the covid-19 pandemic in the world, recording about 22 million infected by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and more than 600,000 deaths associated with the disease.