“Having failed to unite Brazilians in the face of (a) pandemic, Bolsonaro and his government could be the first to be toppled by it,” Robert Muggah, director of the Igarape Institute, a think tank based in Rio de Janeiro, told CNBC via video call.

Muggah said there were at least three ways Bolsonaro could be ousted before the country’s next presidential election in 2022, citing impeachment proceedings, including an allegation that he poses a threat to public health, conviction by the Supreme Court for common crimes, or ejection by the national electoral tribunal for alleged misconduct during the 2018 campaign.

“It is tempting to say that he is making outrageous statements to deflect attention from his criminal behavior. But that would be overestimating the man,” Muggah continued. “Crises such as this one demand focused, competent leadership. Bolsonaro is incapable of this, and the longer he remains in power, the more Brazilians will die.”