Jair Bolsonaro’s Pending Indictment Regarding Poor Covid Policy

Cover Photo: Special Address by Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil by Christian Clavadetscher is licensed under Creative Commons

The outbreak of COVID-19 has reached every corner of the globe, drastically changing the lives of millions and placing governments, economies, and systems on hold. While nations have responded differently depending on their populations and infrastructures, governments have imposed similar measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus, and encouraged vaccinations to eliminate further damage. In Latin America, Brazil in particular has seen over twenty million cases of COVID-19, the highest on the continent and only second to the United States worldwide. The abilities of Brazil’s healthcare system vary across its twenty-six states. Universal and free healthcare for all are principles entrenched by the Federal Constitution. States and municipalities are responsible for the administration and delivery of care and while all states provide these services at a basic level, there are differences in the availability or quality of care. In Brazil’s richest states: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, access to physicians, hospitals, care centers, and advanced medical services are accessible to the local populations. 

However, in the northern states of the Amazon, where many population centers are small and communities remote, the availability of healthcare professionals and access to complex services can be more challenging. Out of Brazil’s 461,665 practicing physicians, only 4.5% work in the Northern regions, highlighting the disparities in healthcare infrastructure. Yet, regardless of location, all of Brazil’s state healthcare systems were pushed to their limits under pandemic circumstances. The country has seen an incredibly high death toll, reaching six-hundred thousand deaths as of October 26th, 2021. However, many Brazilians are not placing the blame on their healthcare system, but rather with their president, Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing the possibility of indictment at federal and international levels for his poor pandemic strategy. 

When reported cases of COVID-19 began emerging in Brazil, Bolsonaro proceeded to dismiss the severity of the situation, drawing similarities between the coronavirus and the common flu. The president’s stance on the issue has been controversial, as his position is one of the few that argues against the severity of the disease. Furthermore, he refused to put in place the protective measures that were being implemented in neighbouring countries to contain the disease. At the provincial level, several of Brazil’s state governors imposed protective measures; however, the president repeatedly condemned these decisions, going even so far as to label them as criminal. The disagreements over state jurisdiction stemmed from Bolsonaro’s continued favour towards the policy of ‘herd immunity’ as the best means to keep the economy running. This term was popularized at the beginning of the pandemic, only to be abandoned as scientific evidence proved otherwise. However, Bolsonaro remained confident in this approach well into 2021; and although an official statement was never released that stated this was the preferred policy, lack of measures and skeptical public opinions demonstrated that it was.

His administration also claimed that restrictions to economic activity would only harm Brazil’s poorest. This was used to justify several policy decisions, such as refusing to impose a nationwide lockdown. However, the outcome of these decisions suggest otherwise. The pandemic has displaced many working class Brazilian’s, leading to homelessness, unemployment, and extreme poverty, and has created further grounds for Bolsonaro’s investigation. 

Recently, a twelve-hundred page report documenting Bolsonaro’s handling of the pandemic was released by the Brazilian senate. The report, approved by an inter-governmental committee of multiple parties, was the culmination of a six-month investigation into the president’s pandemic response. Through a detailed account, it determined that the president deliberately left Brazil unprepared for the fight against COVID-19. By downplaying the severity of the disease, delaying vaccine purchases in pursuit of herd immunity, and using presidential decree to prevent lockdowns and similar restrictions, he allowed for the virus to spread rapidly and undercut the ability for an effective response. In addition, the report finds that the administration ignored over a hundred emails from the pharmaceutical provider Pfizer regarding the vaccines availability, and instead opted for spending millions on promoting alternatives such hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug. Based on the evidence, the report recommends that criminal charges be pursued against an umbrella of actors responsible for the handling of the pandemic. In total, seventy-eight people are named, including Bolsonaro’s three sons. 

Upon the report's release, an investigative panel approved these recommendations after voting seven-to-four in favour. Out of the eleven who voted, seven were opposition members. Yet given Brazil’s deep polarity, approval from these multi-party bodies signifies combined feelings of indignation against the president’s poor policy decisions. In response, the president has denied wrongdoing, insisting that his party’s approach was best for the country and that he was courageous for resististing political correctness and global health recommendations. One of the president’s sons, Flavio Bolsonaro, stated that the report lacked any legal basis and was based on political motives. If prosecuted, Bolsonaro would face over ten charges and be held personally responsible for more than half the country’s death toll. However, there are still obstacles that prevent the president from being held accountable, as Bolsonaro has allies in key positions. Augusto Aras, the prosecutor-general and Bolsonaro-appointee, will have the final decision regarding filing the charges against the president. Additionally in Brazil’s Lower House, it is Arthur Lira, the speaker, who will decide whether to call the topic of impeachment to a vote or not. 

Even though it is likely that Bolsonaro will be protected by his allies, the scandal has left an enormous stain on his credibility and chances of re-election. The six-month period that saw numerous hearings and testimonies did not have a positive impact on the president’s approval ratings, instead sending them into a nosedive. More importantly, the investigation was televised, bringing everything into the public eye. This increase in understanding sparked greater conversation amongst the Brazilian people, who gained a new perspective on Bolsonaro’s pandemic response. With a general election scheduled for October of 2022, the president faces an ever-growing list of critics, as the governors of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro named as contenders after their strong recoveries from being two of the hardest hit states. However, the biggest threat to the president’s chances of re-election will be the people, as his low approval ratings and scarred reputation will no doubtedly be factors in their consideration next October. They will be reflecting on the past year and the cost of Bolsonaro’s poor pandemic management and will decide if another four years of his leadership is in the country's best interest.