Jair Bolsonaro President of Brazil takes off his protective mask to speak to journalists during a press conference about outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID - 19) at the Planalto Palace on March 20, 2020 in Brasilia, Brazil.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has sparked public outcry over his handling of the coronavirus crisis, with a movement to impeach the right-wing nationalist leader gaining popular support.

The president of Latin America's largest economy has repeatedly played down the threat of the pandemic, dismissing it as a "little flu" and condemning state governors for imposing lockdowns that are causing job losses.

He has also contradicted his own health minister's advice over self-isolation and social distancing, encouraging people to end their time in quarantine and return to work.

All but three of Brazil's 27 states have refused to relax lockdown measures, and citizens in many urban centers can be heard banging pots and pans from their homes each evening as an act of protest to the president's demands.

"It won't be controversial to say that he is now probably the last man standing in the denial camp," said Jimena Blanco, head of Latin America at Verisk Maplecroft.

By rejecting international recommendations, Bolsonaro is in the company of very few global leaders, with Belarus' authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also maintaining relaxed policies.

When asked about the prospect of Bolsonaro facing impeachment proceedings this year, Blanco replied: "I think it is one of the risks that can no longer be called a black swan."