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Jair Bolsonaro, ex-president of Brazil, is facing an indictment for allegedly falsifying his Covid-19 vaccine records.
Federal police allege that Mr Bolsonaro falsified information in the country’s public health database in December 2022 to make it appear he, his daughter and several other close allies had received the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Associated Press. He also faces charges of criminal association.
Jair Bolsonaro has been indicted on charges related to suspected falsification of his Covid-19 vaccine records
(AFP via Getty Images)
This indictment comes after a long investigation by federal police into whether Mr Bolsonaro falsified his Covid-19 vaccine card to get around US requirements. Mauro Cid, former aide to Mr Bolsonaro, was also indicted as part of this investigation after his arrest last year, according to Reuters.
Last year, Mr Bolsonaro denied any allegations that he falsified the data and said he never claimed to be vaccinated.
A legal analyst told the AP that Mr Bolsonaro, if convicted of falsifying health data, could spend anywhere from two to twelve years behind bars. Meanwhile, the criminal association charge carries a four-year sentence, the analyst said.
The former president has long rejected the Covid-19 vaccine, instead advocating for the use of hydroxychloroquine, a drug also touted by Donald Trump. However, hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, is not effective against Covid-19.
During the peak of the pandemic, Mr Bolsonaro also ignored emails from Pfizer offering to sell millions of vaccines to the country in 2020, the AP reports. In 2021, the former president faced accusations of corruption after finally purchasing vaccines from Indian pharmaceutical Bharat Biotech. A health ministry official at the time said he felt pressured to greenlight the agreement despite irregularities in invoices.
Both Mr Bolsonaro and the company denied any wrongdoing.
The former president is also facing several separate legal challenges. Last year, a panel of judges barred Mr Bolsonaro from running for office until 2030 after ruling he abused his power during the 2022 election and cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting systems.
Federal police are also investigating Mr Bolsonaro for his suspected role in a series of attacks on government buildings on 8 January 2023 by his supporters after he lost the election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He has denied any wrongdoing. Earlier this year, federal investigators launched “Operation Tempus Veritatis” — ‘Hour of Truth” in Latin — by conducting dozens of searches and arresting several of Mr Bolsonaro’s allies.
Mr Bolsonaro has long aligned with Mr Trump and the American far-right. Last year, he spoke at several conservative events, including the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference. He also gave remarks outside of a Trump hotel in Miami, Florida at an event hosted by conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
