- Jair Bolsonaro chose to leave the country rather than give the presidential sash to his successor.
- Bolsonaro lacked the vaccination record that US authorities wanted.
- Since leaving government, Bolsonaro has not been charged with a crime before.
When his term as president of Brazil came to an end in December 2022, Jair Bolsonaro chose to leave the country rather than give the presidential sash to his successor. However, according to a Federal Police accusation, Bolsonaro lacked the vaccination record that US authorities wanted.
Rather than seeking help from his aide-de-camp, Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro urged him to fabricate information in the public health system to make it seem as though he and his daughter, 12, had been vaccinated against COVID-19. On December 22, Cid printed up the certificates inside the presidential palace and personally presented them to Bolsonaro, he said police, assigning someone else to complete the operation.
Jair Bolsonaro
Since leaving government, Bolsonaro has not been charged with a crime before, and manipulating public records is a serious offense in Brazil. The 68-year-old politician could serve as little as two years in prison or as long as twelve years if the prosecutor general’s office chooses to utilize the indictment to proceed with filing charges at the Supreme Court. The maximum sentence for a criminal association indictment is four years in prison.
Apart from the accusation that Bolsonaro fabricated documents, another continuing inquiry aims to ascertain if he attempted to smuggle two sets of pricey diamond jewelry into Brazil and obstruct their integration into the presidency’s official collection.
Investigators are also looking into his possible role in the capital’s Jan. 8, 2023, rebellion, which occurred shortly after Lula assumed office. After Bolsonaro lost his quest for reelection in 2022, commanders who worked under him have told police the former leader gave them a strategy for him to stay in power.
The indictment provided fresh insight into a Senate committee investigation that concluded in October 2021 and recommended Bolsonaro face nine criminal charges on the grounds of epidemic mismanagement.
Subsequently, Augusto Aras, the prosecutor general, who was perceived by many as a Bolsonaro loyalist, refused to advance the case. Paulo Gonet, Aras’ replacement, met with lawmakers on Tuesday night to discuss the prospect of bringing charges, according to reports from Brazilian media.
The resounding backing Bolsonaro received from his political base last month when an estimated 185,000 people jammed Sao Paulo’s main street to protest what they and the former president see to be political persecution, demonstrated this commitment.
