Brazil’s president downplays threat of pandemic as coronavirus spreads deeper into Latin America

From Mexico to Argentina, a growing number of Latin American nations are confirming  Covid-19 infections and related deaths. With autumn arriving in the southern hemisphere, the region that is home to about 8.5 per cent of the world’s population could be among the worst affected by the disease. In Brazil, far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the threat of the pandemic. He has condemned lockdowns ordered in Brazilian cities as a “crime” and insists the nation’s people will be fine.