You're listening to a podcast from the BBC World Service. This is Hard Talk with me, Stephen Sacker.

Thanks for downloading this edition of the program. I do hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to Hard Talk on the BBC World Service with me, Stephen Sacker. My guest today was until just a few weeks ago on the front line of the fight against COVID-19.

Luis Enrique Mendetta was Brazil's Minister of Health, a role that was winning him

plaudits from the press and public, until he was summarily dismissed by President Jaya

Bolsonaro. And the reason for the sacking, the populist president, who has

characterized coronavirus as nothing more than the sniffles or a minor flu, lost patience, with his

minister's insistence on the importance of social distancing and emergency measures to slow the

spread of the virus. President Bolsonaro wants

Brazilians to get back to work, suggesting those who support continued restrictions are involved

in a political plot to undermine his presidency. So Mr. Mendetta is now out of a job. Brazil is in the throes of a political and economic crisis,

and all the while, COVID-19 is taking more lives, especially in the Amazon region.

Could it be that President Bolsonaro is putting his nation at risk? Well, Luis Enrique Mendetta joins me now on the line from

Brasilia. Welcome to Hard Talk. Nice to hear from you. Nice to hear from England. It is just three

weeks or so since you were fired by President Bolsonaro. Now that you've had time to reflect on what happened,

what are your emotions about it all? Well, that's something that he is in charge. He was elected

to hire ministers and to fire ministers. He had a view that the economic crisis would be much deeper

if everybody would follow the health department

on keeping the distance and staying home.

So that was pretty much confusing for the population

and he's in charge.

So he decided to do it.

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