Brazilian government questioned for buying Viagra for the military
The government of Brazilian President Bolsonaro was questioned by Congressman Vaz about an order to order 35,000 Viagra pills for the armed forces.
“Our hospitals don’t have enough medicine and Bolsonaro and his team use public money to buy ‘small blue pills’,” Brazilian opposition lawmaker Elias Vaz said on April 11. He said that through a Freedom of Information law enforcement request, he obtained documents showing that the Brazilian government approved an order for 35,000 Viagra pills for the military.
The document Vaz received did not mention Viagra by name, but said it was an order for sildenafil, the active ingredient in the erectile dysfunction drug. Vaz called the move “unethical”.
Brazilian Congressman Elias Vaz speaks at a meeting in Brasilia in this photo posted in November 2019. Image: AFP.
Brazilian MPs Marcelo Freixo and Elias Vaz also said they would ask the prosecutor to investigate whether the sale showed signs of irregularity. MPs say there is evidence of corruption when the government pays 143 per cent more than market prices for drugs.
Brazil’s Defense Ministry said the pills it ordered were actually used to treat patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, another use of sildenafil.
The explanation of the Brazilian Ministry of Defense also did not calm the wave of sarcasm of the people. Caricatures of tanks with drooping cannons went viral on Twitter, and the keyword Viagra also became a trending topic on social media in Brazil.
“This explains why the military is increasingly supporting Mr Bolsonaro,” one social media user commented, mocking the close relationship between the Brazilian president and the armed forces.
Ngoc Anh (According to AFP)
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