Brazil's Foreign and Defense Ministers Resign on Same Day

Ernesto Araujo, the foreign minister of Brazil, tendered his resignation on Monday after criticism over alleged diplomatic failure to secure COVID-19 vaccines for Brazilians.

According to ANI, Brazil is currently facing shortages of the COVID-19 vaccines amid efforts of different countries in immunizing their constituents. Ernesto Araujo is deemed to be a key member of Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's "ideological wing," according to an AFP report.

Resignation of Brazil's Foreign Minister

The foreign minister sent a letter of resignation addressed to the president of Brazil. The minister also notified his staff about his decision to leave his office.

Ernesto Araujo aligned himself with former president Donald Trump having the same sentiments and views. Araujo's attacks on climate change, gender ideology, and "COVID-ism" have raised many people's eyebrows.

"Globalists are taking a disease caused by a virus, Covid, and trying to turn it into a huge prescriptive apparatus... to control the entire planet's social and economic relations," Araujo said last October.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Brazil has 12,490,362 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Mar. 29, with 310,550 deaths. As of Mar. 18, a total of 13,028,391 COVID vaccine doses have been administered by the Brazilian government.

Despite the huge number of COVID vaccines administered, severe COVID-19 cases and deaths have pushed the country's hospitals to the limit.

Criticisms from the people also haunted the current administration for rejecting an offer of 70 million vaccine doses from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer last August. The president joked that the vaccines could turn someone into an alligator.

The administration also declined an offer with Brazil's top trade partner China. Chinese-developed CoronaVac is currently the most-administered COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil. But the country acquired the shots only after the government of Sao Paulo state defied resistance from the Bolsonaro administration.

There were reports that many lawmakers blamed Araujo for delays in shipments of COVID-19 vaccine inputs from China. The lawmakers said this explains why the country has fallen behind peers in the race for vaccines.

Araujo reportedly took up the foreign minister post with a vow to "resist Maoist China," which has repeatedly provoked disagreements with Beijing.

Other Brazil Officers Who Resigned

On the same day that Araujo sent his resignation letter, Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva also tendered his resignation.

According to a Reuters report, there were no rumors of exit or discontent before his resignation.

"I leave in the certainty of mission accomplished," said Azevedo e Silva in a ministry statement.

Bolsonaro appointed his current chief of staff, Walter Souza Braga Netto, to replace Azevedo e Silva. Carlos Alberto Franco França, a diplomat close to Bolsonaro, was reportedly named the new foreign minister.

Outgoing Solicitor General Jose Levi Mello also said in a letter that he would also resign. The president will replace him with current Justice Minister André Mendonça.

Mendonça's role will go to Anderson Gustavo Torres, a federal police officer presently in charge of public security for the Federal District, including Brasilia.

Former general Luiz Eduardo Ramos will be assigned to take over as chief of staff, leaving his Cabinet-level post handling legislative priorities to Flavia Arruda, a first-term lawmaker.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said on Monday that he would be meeting with the U.S. ambassador for the procurement and earlier delivery of 20 million doses. Queiroga replaced former Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello last week.

WATCH: Brazil Begins Roll-Out of 2 million COVID Vaccines Amid Protests - From Al Jazeera English