In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic in Brazil, watch out for snowmen in the north and northeast regions! Post-truth under discussion

Abstract

This article incorporates part of the results of an ongoing master's research, and it discusses fake news and the post-truth phenomenon in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. We have analyzed the danger of misinformation and its use as a political strategy by Eduardo Pazuello. In June 2020, the Brazil's interim Health Minister justified the considerable number of coronavirus deaths in the North and Northeast regions by arguing that the climate in these regions was related to the winter in the northern hemisphere. We have adopted the cartographic method to follow up the dissemination of memes in the social media networks Facebook and Twitter. We have also evaluated the comments posted on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Health in answer to Pazuello's statement, whether in support or in objection. The analyzed memes and Facebook comments demonstrate there are groups of internet users which support Pazuello, while others make fun of his attempt to redefine the Earth's equator as a mean of explaining the large number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. In times of pandemic, we believe it is crucial to bring forth media literacy and education, in order to debunk the kind of speech pronounced by Pazuello, which seeks to justify social chaos with falsehood, thus highlighting the inefficiency of Brazil's public policies responses to COVID-19.