Brazil Foreign Minister’s Resignation Irreversible, Possible Replacements Discussed

Brazil’s Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo tendered his resignation after pressure from lawmakers over the country’s failed strategy to acquire vaccines and contain the pandemic.

Araujo offered to quit on Monday, according to three government officials familiar with the matter who declined to be named because a decision hasn’t been announced.

The situation of the controversial minister, a close ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, is irreversible and the government is discussing possible replacements.

Bolsonaro’s office and the foreign ministry didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

Araujo angered lawmakers and business leaders over tension with China, Brazil’s largest provider both of inputs for Covid-19 vaccines and ready-to-use shots. China is also Brazil’s top trading partner.

Many legislators blamed him for delays in shipments of vaccine inputs from China, which they say helps explain why Brazil has fallen behind peers in the race for doses.

Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases has topped 12 million, and more than 300,000 people have died from the virus thus far, the world’s highest death toll after the U.S.