Brazil's scandal-plagued President may face a reckoning as lawmakers consider impeachment

Meanwhile, the state is struggling done the devastating interaction of its haphazard effect to Covid-19.

There person been astir 20 cardinal cases of the microorganism reported successful Brazil, according to the Johns Hopkins University database, ranking it 3rd successful the satellite aft the United States and India. The decease toll has topped 544,000 and determination proceed to beryllium much than a 1000 deaths each day. Only astir 16% of the colonisation is vaccinated.

Bolsonaro has been at the halfway of the storm, having downplayed the gravity of the microorganism from the beginning. This week, the President criticized governors for taking restrictive measures to incorporate the spread.

"Many governors person closed everything. They person destroyed jobs, particularly informal ones. We person astir 38 cardinal radical successful Brazil who unrecorded from time to day, who enactment successful the greeting to devour astatine night," helium said. "They person mislaid everything. If determination wasn't exigency assistance by the national government, these radical would beryllium condemned to starvation."

During an interrogation with nationalist web TV Brasil connected Tuesday, Bolsonaro criticized the Brazilian property and congratulated his government's handling of the pandemic.

"I person a wide conscience," Bolsonaro said. "Brazil is 1 of the countries that has champion behaved during the pandemic, period. Congratulations to Brazil. I convey my squad of 22 ministers."

In July 2020, Bolsonaro announced helium tested affirmative for Covid-19, pursuing months of downplaying the virus. He and his authorities person resisted lockdown measures and mask-wearing. Angry citizens, governmental adversaries and overwhelmed section officials person pressed Bolsonaro for much national action, adjacent arsenic helium has publically shrugged disconnected those concerns.

Corruption investigations and inquiries

The Brazilian Senate enquiry into the government's effect whitethorn hobble Bolsonaro's reelection bid if it leads to an impeachment proceeding oregon transgression charges.

While those outcomes are considered by governmental analysts to beryllium unlikely, Bolsonaro's aboriginal whitethorn beryllium connected his quality to support the bid with lawmakers liable for specified proceedings.

Senate absorption person Randolfe Rodrigues said what started arsenic an probe into omissions and misconduct has present turned into a corruption inquiry.

The accusations see claims Bolsonaro and his authorities sabotaged isolation measures, threatened governors and mayors who applied restrictive measures, and refused to deterioration masks oregon promote their use. Brazilians person taken to the streets successful ample numbers to request a amended response.

The enquiry has besides uncovered explosive claims from a witnesser that Bolsonaro was warned a projected vaccine woody was padded with other currency for corrupt officials. The Parliamentary Inquiry Committee (CPI) has opened an investigation implicit the woody to acquisition 20 cardinal doses of the Indian-made Covaxin vaccines, for 1,000% much than the archetypal quoted price.

Congressman Luis Miranda, a erstwhile state of Bolsonaro, and his member Luis Ricardo Miranda, a Ministry of Health employee, said they warned the President of irregularities successful the contract, but helium did thing to resoluteness the issue. Bolsonaro told Radio Gaucha, "I can't just, erstwhile thing comes to me, instrumentality action. I conscionable with much than 100 radical a month."

Speaking Sunday arsenic helium was being discharged from the hospital, Bolsonaro complained the CPI is excessively often accusing him of being corrupt. "Do you privation to oust maine from the government?" helium said. "Only God (can) get maine retired of that chair. Didn't they recognize that lone God takes maine retired of that chair? If determination is immoderate corruption successful the government, I volition beryllium the archetypal to find retired and permission it successful the hands of justice."

He has accused the CPI of ignoring different allegations of corruption crossed Brazil to absorption connected him and his government. "They privation to impeach maine of genocide. Now, archer maine successful what state radical person not died? This CPI has nary credibility," Bolsonaro said. The President added helium is "sorry astir the dead, but radical who were steadfast had small accidental of dying."

Impeachment risk

Political expert Marco A. Teixeira told CNN that portion unlikely, Bolsonaro whitethorn beryllium astatine hazard of impeachment. The Getulio Vargas University (FGV-SP) prof said portion it's not yet wide wherever the enquiry volition lead, Bolsonaro's authorities is compromised.

"It is simply a antithetic concern from the past election, due to the fact that helium is already being judged and has pending explanations to springiness to society. He mislaid the presumption of opposition. He tin nary longer accidental that helium 'will bash it' due to the fact that helium is already successful government," Teixeira said.

"Now his communicative is that helium is not allowed to bash thing by the Supreme Court and the Congress. ... He has a communicative for each occasion," Teixeira added.

Da Silva has hinted astatine a statesmanlike tally successful 2022 aft his convictions for corruption and wealth laundering were annulled successful March, efficaciously restoring his close to tally for office.

Da Silva has savaged the efforts of the medication to incorporate the outbreak, saying "there is nary power successful Brazil." He described lockdowns arsenic "necessary" -- restrictions that Bolsonaro has often rejected.

"(Bolsonaro) prefers to aftermath up astatine 4 o'clock successful the morning, archer his lies done his mobile phone, done the societal media, and we person been producing fake quality arsenic we've ne'er seen successful the past of Brazil, and he's not dealing seriously," da Silva has said.

Vying for votes

Bolsonaro -- overmuch similar Trump during his reelection run -- has been seeding uncertainty astir the physics voting machines utilized successful Brazil, the precise aforesaid strategy by which helium and his sons were elected. He's been pushing for the state to usage printed ballots only, touting unproven claims erstwhile elections were rigged utilizing physics voting.

Teixeira explains Bolsonaro's caller wellness scare whitethorn enactment successful his favour successful presumption of his popularity. He suggests supporters volition rally astir the President arsenic they did astatine the clip of his failed 2018 assassination attempt. An wounded from that effort has led to his existent aesculapian issues.

Bolsonaro's eldest son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, tweeted astir his father's caller infirmary stay, "President @jairbolsonaro evolved for the better, helium woke up successful a bully temper and, if helium continues similar this, helium won't request to acquisition surgery! Thank you each for your prayers! #WhoOrderedTheBolsonaroAssassination."

Teixeira explains the hashtag utilized by Bolsonaro's lad shows an effort to mobilize supporters online.

"Bolsonaro's wellness occupation creates a smokescreen that gives his household a benignant of 'revival' from the stab helium suffered 4 years ago, showing an instrumentalization of thing that had important value successful the past elections and that tin impact voting volition for adjacent year," Teixeira said.

Arriving astatine the infirmary past week, Bolsonaro said Brazil is connected "the way to prosperity" and thanked supporters for their prayers.

"That's what motivates america to determination guardant and look immoderate it takes to get the state retired of the grip of corruption, reversal of values, organized crime, and to warrant and support the state of our people," Bolsonaro said.

"May God bless america and proceed to enlighten our nation. A large hug! -- Brazil supra all; God supra all!"