Brazil senators recommend President Bolsonaro face criminal charges over COVID-19 handling

Brazil’s senate committee on Tuesday, 26 October recommended that President Jair Bolsonaro face a series of criminal charges and omissions related to the country recording the world’s second-highest COVID-19 death toll. As per AP, the committee voted 7-4 which was the culmination of a six-month-long probe of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vote formally approved a report calling for prosecutors to try Bolsonaro on several charges.

Reportedly, these charges include charlatanism, inciting crime to misuse of public funds, and crimes against humanity. The committee also called on the prosecutors that while trying the Brazilian President, they should hold Bolsonaro responsible for over 6,00,000 COVID-19 deaths recorded in the country. While Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, the ultimate decision on whether to file most of the charges is up to Prosecutor-General Augusto Aras.

It is pertinent to note that Aras is appointed by Bolsonaro and as per AP, the Prosecutor-General is widely seen as protecting the Brazilian President. Moreover, the allegations of crimes against humanity would be required to be pursued by the International Criminal Court. Brazilian Senator Omar Aziz, who is also the chairman of the inquiry into the country’s COVID response, said that he would take the recommendations to Aras on Wednesday, 27 October. The Prosecutor-General's office has said that the report would be carefully reviewed when received. 

Further criticism expected against Bolsonaro

Irrespective of whether the charges are filed against Bolsonaro, the report is expected to trigger criticism against the Brazilian President especially when his approval ratings plunged ahead of his 2022 reelection campaign. Report author Sen. Renan Calheiros first submitted the nearly 1,200-page report last week, several months after Bolsonaro repeatedly downplayed the severity of COVID-19. In the preliminary days of the health crisis, the Brazilian President even dismissed the illness as a common ‘flu’.

As per AP, the report said that by insisting on treatment with anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as “practically the only government policy to fight the pandemic, Jair Bolsonaro strongly collaborated for COVID-19's spread in Brazilian territory”. As a result, the report added, that the Brazilian President is “the main person responsible for the errors committed by the federal government during the pandemic".

(IMAGE: AP)

(With AP inputs)