coronavirus claims tens of thousands of lives in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro is focused on ensuring his political survival and mobilizing his far-right supporters to do so.With less than one-third of Brazilians approving Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic, and protests against him increasing, analysts say he’s shoring up his base to shield himself from possible impeachment and improve governability.“He’s losing support and needs something to put in its place,” Mauricio Santoro, a professor of political science at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. “Bolsonaro needs people on the street defending him.” Casting doubt on COVID-19 statistics has been a mainstay in far-right circles and Bolsonaro has amplified that claim.