Brazil's far-right leader Bolsonaro holds another maskless rally

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro rode maskless through the capital Brasilia on Sunday during a motorcycle rally.

Hundreds of supporters joined him on the ride through the capital and surrounding area and most also did not wear masks, according to local media.

It came after Bolsonaro held a rally with thousands of participants in the southern city of Florianopolis on Saturday - also amid maskless crowds.

Bolsonaro was fined for not wearing a mask earlier this year by two state governments after a large motorcycle rally in Sao Paulo in June and an event in Maranhao state in May. Both states are led by opponents of Bolsonaro.

The right-wing populist leader, who caught and recovered from the coronavirus last year, has played down the seriousness of the virus from the start of the pandemic and has repeatedly spoken out against the use of masks and other measures to stem the spread of the virus.

The country's highest electoral authority and highest court recently launched investigations into Bolsonaro after he repeatedly cast doubt over the credibility of Brazil's electoral system.

In a speech in Florianopolis after Saturday's rally, he called again for paper ballots to be used instead of electronic voting, in order to ensure "cleaner" elections, local media reported.

Brazil will hold presidential and parliamentary elections in October 2022.