This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
On June 26, 2020, Judge Renato Borelli ordered Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a face mask in public during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing his constitutional obligation to follow the laws in force in the country.
The ruling came after a lawyer brought a case against Bolsonaro, accusing him of 'irresponsible behavior' for repeatedly flouting social distancing measures in place in Brasilia.
However, Bolsonaro's attorney general's office argued that the ruling was redundant since face masks are already mandatory in Brasilia, and that the president has a constitutional right to make his own decisions.
Despite this, Bolsonaro has since worn a mask at all public appearances, following the court's order or facing a 2,000-real ($365) fine.
Brasilia has been under a mask mandate since April to curb the spread of the virus, and Bolsonaro has been criticized for his handling of the pandemic, which has seen Brazil record the second-highest COVID-19 death toll in the world, after the United States, at 55,000.
It is worth noting that Bolsonaro has never been fined for failing to wear a mask, but his former education minister Abraham Weintraub was fined 2,000 reals last week for attending a pro-Bolsonaro rally in Brasilia without one.
