[ad_1]
Jair Bolsonaro launched an operation to lead the vaccination process against Covid-19. The motivation is political. The president wants to empty the role assumed by the governor of São Paulo, João Doria.
Bolsonaro’s strategy includes movements that reveal the obsession with which the president began to pursue the goal of turning off the spotlight attracted by Doria. Below, in ten movements, a behind-the-scenes account of what happens.
1. Bolsonaro was concerned about the race of governors and mayors to acquire CoronaVac. This Wednesday (16), the day in which the scenographic launch of a national immunization plan that had already come to light in Planalto took place, there were 12 states and 1,030 municipalities in the queue of candidates for the acquisition of the tested Chinese vaccine and made in Brazil. by the Butantan Institute, linked to the São Paulo government.
2. Last weekend, Bolsonaro authorized General Eduardo Pazuello, the Minister of Health, to reestablish an agreement with Butantan. The same deal that Pazuello had announced on October 20, in a meeting with 24 governors, and that the president had broken. It foresees the acquisition by the Union of 46 million doses of CoronaVac, the vaccine developed by the Sinovac laboratory in China.
3. After humiliating Pazuello, showing a video on social networks with the phrase that became a symbol of the general’s submission – “It’s that simple: one orders and the other obeys” – Bolsonaro had sworn that his government would never buy the “Chinese vaccine”. Doria “.
The president turned away after handling an investigation that revealed the desire of most Brazilians to get vaccinated. To complicate matters, the vaccine the federal government bet its best chips on (AstraZeneca-Oxford) stumbled in the testing phase. With the prospect of delay, Bolsonaro’s dream of bringing a vaccine to the window before Doria climbed onto the roof.
4. In practice, the withdrawal of the president represents an advance in the territory of Doria. By acquiring the production of Butantan, the Ministry of Health annihilates the immunization plan that the governor of São Paulo announced for January 25. If the acquisition is confirmed, the vaccination of the inhabitants of São Paulo will occur simultaneously with the other states, on a schedule established by Brasilia.
5. Bolsonaro took two precautions not to give Doria a poster. It determined that the national vaccination program does not open with the CoronaVac, but with the Pfizer vaccine, included at the last minute in the shopping cart of the Ministry of Health.vachina “, as Bolsonaro devotees refer to the Butantan immunizer, he entered the scene after the first photos and footage.
In private, the president even mentioned the possibility of sending Air Force planes to be vaccinated at the Pfizer plant in Michigan, United States. In addition, Bolsonaro prohibited Pazuello from starting immunization on January 25, the date on which Doria chose to be the anniversary day of the city of São Paul.
6. Last Monday (14), Pazuello called, around 1:00 p.m., an advisor to Doria, the former toucan deputy Antonio Imbassahy. He is responsible for looking after the interests of the São Paulo government in Brasilia. The minister warned Imbassahy that he would send one of his special advisers, also former federal deputy Airton Cascavel, to the São Paulo capital.
7. The rattlesnake flew to Are Paulo the same Monday. Ciceronado by Imbassahy, went to Butantan. He met for almost three hours with Dimas Covas, the director of the institute. Figures and volumes traded in October were on the table. The Union would buy 46 million doses of CoronaVac, at a unit price of $ 10.30.
8. Dimas Covas and Antonio Imbassahy reiterated in the meeting with the emissary of Pazuello that the objective of Butantan and Palácio dos Bandeirante has always been to include CorionaVac in the National Immunization Program, which has been working properly for 47 years. Butantan provides something like 65% of the vaccines distributed through the Ministry of Health.
9. Before returning to Brasilia, Pazuello’s assistant spoke to Doria on the phone. Shortly after, the minister himself called the governor. A week after a fight in which he had made the purchase of CoronaVac conditional on the existence of a “lawsuit,” the general had a long and friendly conversation with his disgruntled boss. In it, it was understood that Pazuello had recovered the “autonomy” to negotiate. And that understanding would migrate from go-go to paper.
On Tuesday (15), Butantan sent the Ministry of Health a contract with the details of the agreement braided the previous day: price, quantity and delivery schedule. The day ended without Pazuello placing his jamegão in the document. The fourth, the solemnity of the Planalto. Addressing an audience that included several governors, Bolsonaro spoke of “unity”, “understanding” and “peace.” And Pazuello led CoronaVac to the lips. Doria no showed up.
10. After the Planalto ceremony, Pazuello met with the governors who arrived in Brasilia. He reiterated that the Health portfolio will buy all vaccines that obtain approval from Anvisa, the Brazilian drug certification agency. Provoked, he repeated behind closed doors what he had said under the spotlight: CoronaVac will be acquired by the Union and showed a copy of the Butantan contract.
Interestingly, Wednesday ended without Pazuello signing the contract. A debate was opened on the possibility of the minister signing a letter of purchase intent. That would be replaced by the contract after the vaccine was endorsed by Anvisa. The letter already was written. Butantan plans to apply for the vaccine registration next week, on December 23.
