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The objective of this study is to explore the perceptions and attitudes of Brazilians toward the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the factors that explain what leads individuals to comply with social distancing and other protective measures aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus. The results are based on three waves of a survey conducted in 2020 among a representative sample of households. In a context marked by the Brazilian president’s repeated statements against prevention policies in the media and on social networks, we show that the population’s trust in public authorities (political, medical, scientific, religious, etc.), and in particular the president, played an essential role in the population’s adherence to measures intended to control the spread of the virus. Compliance with social distancing and other protective measures is more difficult for Brazilians who trust their president. This result confirms the crucial influence of leadership at the highest level of government on behavior, and reinforces the results of studies conducted in other countries.Codes JEL: I18, O1, O54.