After a six-month-long investigation into the government's handling the pandemic, the 7-to-4 vote was the result. The committee approved a report recommending that Bolsonaro be tried on all charges, including inciting crime and charlatanism, misuse of public money and crimes against humanity. This is because Bolsonaro was held responsible for many of Brazil’s 600,000. COVID-19 deaths.
President Trump has denied any wrongdoing. The decision to file most of these charges will rest with Prosecutor General Augusto Aras. He is a Bolsonaro appointed who is widely believed to be protecting him. International Criminal Court would be required to pursue the allegation that he committed crimes against humanity.
The chairman of the inquiry, Sen. Omar Aziz said that he would present the recommendation to prosecutor-general Wednesday morning. Aras' office stated that the report will be thoroughly reviewed once it is received.
The report, regardless of whether or not charges are brought, is likely to be used to criticize the president who has seen his approval ratings plummet ahead of his 2022 campaign. This is due in large part to Brazil's high COVID-19 death rate. For months, the investigation has been rife with damaging allegations.
Bolsonaro has undermined local leaders' efforts to stop the spread of the virus. He claimed that the economy must continue to function so that the poor don't suffer more hardships. Bolsonaro has also insisted on promoting an anti-malaria drug, even though extensive testing revealed it wasn't effective against COVID-19. He has also assembled large crowds of people without masks and created doubt about vaccines.
Bolsonaro defends himself, claiming that he was one of the few world leaders who were brave enough to ignore global health guidelines and political correctness.
Sen. Renan Calheiros presented the almost 1,200-page report for the first time last week. According to the report, Jair Bolsonaro was responsible for all the mistakes made by the federal government during the pandemic by insisting that treatment with hydroxychloroquine be administered as the only government policy.
The majority of points in Calheiros’ report were agreed upon by members of the G7 group of senators that aren't from Bolsonaro. Monday was their last meeting to finalize the text.
The final report recommends charges against 13 more people, many of whom are current or former employees of the Health Ministry, and also the governor of Amazonas, a hard-hit state. Bolsonaro, administration officials, and dozens of other allies were all included in the final report. The president's three sons are also included.
This also includes an additional violation for allegedly spreading false information following Bolsonaro’s live broadcast on social networking last week, which incorrectly claimed that people in the U.K. having received two doses of vaccines are developing AIDS quicker than expected.
Two counts of "crime or responsibility" are also included in the report, which can be grounds for impeachment. According to information from the legislative body, Arthur Lira, Lower House Speaker and Bolsonaro ally would need to vote whether to open impeachment proceedings. This is highly unlikely as Lira currently sits on over 120 impeachment requests.
Flavio Bolsonaro (one of the sons of President) called the report legal weak and politically motivated.
He stated to journalists that "some senators on the investigation committee have the intent to cause the most wear and tear on President Obama."
After the inquiry was closed, the former U.S. president Donald Trump released a statement saying that he supports the Brazilian leader.
"President Jair Bolsonaro has become a great friend over the last few years. Trump stated that he fights for Brazil's people and loves them as much as I do for the Americans. Brazil is fortunate to have Jair Bolsonaro as their President. He is a great president and will not let his country's people down!"
An earlier draft recommended that the president be charged with genocide and homicide. However, this was dropped before it was presented last week. Some members of the committee opposed such charges while others were concerned that bombastic claims could compromise the credibility of this report.
Tuesday's Senate committee hearing concluded with a moment silence in support of victims of the Brazilian virus.
