Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took part in a demonstration in the capital of Brasilia against the restrictive measures introduced because of the coronavirus joining 600 people, AFP reported.

The protesters urged the army to intervene in the handling of the COVID-19 and demanded the closure of Congress. During his address, which was interspersed with fits of coughing, the president said: “You must fight for your country. Count on your president to do what is necessary so that we can guarantee democracy and what is most dear to us, our freedom.”

Earlier, Bolsonaro dismissed the country's health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who was one of the main supporters of social distancing in Brazil.

Now Brazil ranks first among the countries of Latin America in the number of infected with coronavirus. Over 38 thousand people were infected in the country, about 2.5 thousand died. On April 17, Bolsonaro made a proposal to open borders with neighboring states.