Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro came out in public to support a small protest that defended military intervention, prompting strong criticism across the political spectrum while also infringing his own ministry's recommendation to maintain social distancing.

On April 19, the day Brazil celebrates its army, Bolsonaro made an appearance at the protest held in front of the army's headquarters in the capital city Brasilia. There, dozens of tightly packed protesters, many of whom were not wearing masks, were calling for the Supreme Court and Congress to be shut down.

"I am here because I believe in you. You are here because you believe in Brazil," said Bolsonaro, a former army captain who waxes nostalgic for the country's 1964-1985 dictatorship.

Demonstrators stand with a banner that reads in Portuguese, "We want the armed forces in power," at the Alvorada palace, after a protest demanding military intervention during the new coronavirus emergency in Brasilia. Credit:AP

The Brasilia demonstration, similar to others taking place in several Brazilian cities, was organised by his more radical supporters – some of whom demanded a military intervention in Congress and the Supreme Court, institutions that have mostly sided with the governors.