As virus spreads in Brazil, Bolsonaro's ties with military under strain

In recent weeks, however, influential figures in military spheres have begun a pushback against his use of the armed forces.

If so, that's reassuring. States with some remaining democratic principles can check an authoritarian trying to seize greater control. As messed up as democracies are and always have been, they're still preferable to autocracies. For the general population, at least.