O cavaleiro templário do Itamaraty contra o “comunavírus”: Ernesto Araújo e a política externa brasileira mediante a pandemia de Covid-19

Abstract

This article examines the foreign policy of the Bolsonaro administration focusing on the role of Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo at the helm of Itamaraty during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2021). The central research question guiding this study is: “How did Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo shape Brazil’s foreign policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic?”. Through a case study approach, the article analyzes Araújo’s public statements and political stances to uncover the intellectual and ideological motivations behind Itamaraty’s actions and decisions during his tenure. The findings reveal that Brazil’s approach to the pandemic was heavily influenced by Araújo’s far-right ideological alignment, which fostered scientific denialism. This stance had detrimental consequences, including: (1) hindered public health policies at the national level, (2) reduced vaccine procurement through the WHO’s COVAX Facility, (3) lax enforcement of sanitary measures, (4) the erosion of Brazil’s credibility within key international organizations tasked with pandemic response, and (5) severe damage to the country’s global reputation.