CHALLENGES OF THE BRAZILIAN STATE POSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE CASE OF PARADIPLOMACY FROM MARANHAO STATE

Abstract

Alongside the current Covid19 pandemic spreading around the world, the odd ‘war operation’ set up by the Maranhão state government in Brazil, allowing the purchase of medical respirators through an ‘alternative’ trade route, is the trigger for this essay. Why a federalist state needs to seek alternative trade routes leading to international diplomatic protagonism? There is incipient evidence concerning the Brazilian challenges to deal with the new Corona virus in the field of global health; we analyse the trade actions of Maranhão state government, the news published in the media and reports of international organizations to clarify our guiding question. Three main factors can be pointed as explanatory factors: the negationist speech of the presidency of the republic of Brazil despite scientific evidence, which has been harming public health responses to the pandemic; diplomatic tensions and setbacks with Brazil's largest trading partner for the trade of medicines, equipment and medical-hospital materials in Brazil; the problematic relations between Brazil and international bodies of Global Health Governance after the election of Jair Bolsonaro.