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RIO DE JANEIRO — The Brazilian police raided the house of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday and seized his cellphone as a part of a sweeping investigation into solid Covid-19 vaccination information which will have allowed him and his high aides to achieve entry into america.
The authorities searched greater than a dozen houses in Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, arresting six individuals, together with one in every of Mr. Bolsonaro’s closest aides and two of his safety guards, who’re suspected of tampering with a authorities vaccination database and issuing falsified information.
The solid vaccine playing cards might have allowed Mr. Bolsonaro and his aides to sidestep U.S. journey restrictions put in place on the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, investigators stated.
False vaccine certificates might have been issued for Mr. Bolsonaro, his 12-year-old daughter, Laura, and different high officers in his administration, in response to the Brazilian authorities. The police stated the vaccination information had been solid between November 2021 and December 2022.
On Wednesday, Mr. Bolsonaro denied ever claiming he had been vaccinated and stated the U.S. immigration authorities had by no means requested him to point out a vaccination file.
“At no time did I say that I took the vaccine, and I didn’t,” Mr. Bolsonaro instructed reporters in entrance of his residence in Brasília after handing over his cell phone to the police. He stated that deciding to not take the vaccine was a “private determination” and he confirmed that his daughter had not been vaccinated both.
Mr. Bolsonaro was named as a suspect within the investigation, in response to paperwork launched by Brazil’s Supreme Courtroom on Wednesday. The Supreme Courtroom stated in a call approving the searches that the investigative connection between the president and a doable crime is “believable, logical and sturdy.”
Throughout his time as Brazil’s right-wing president, Mr. Bolsonaro, a staunch critic of Covid pictures, constantly dodged questions on whether or not he was vaccinated towards the virus. His vaccination standing turned such an argument that, in 2021, Congress positioned a century-long seal of secrecy on Mr. Bolsonaro’s vaccination information.
Mr. Bolsonaro traveled to america at the least 4 instances throughout the pandemic, together with in September 2021, when he took a delegation to the United Nations Basic Meeting in New York. Through the journey, he posted a photograph of himself and his entourage consuming pizza outside, setting off hypothesis over whether or not the group had been barred from eating indoors due to Covid restrictions.
Mr. Bolsonaro was closely criticized for stalling the acquisition of Covid vaccines and for ceaselessly spreading misinformation about them. At one level he claimed that the jabs might flip Brazilians into crocodiles.
A Brazilian congressional investigation concluded that Mr. Bolsonaro ought to be charged with “crimes towards humanity” for his dealing with of the pandemic, which killed 700,000 individuals in Brazil. Prosecutors haven’t pursued these fees.
The police had been anticipated to query Mr. Bolsonaro concerning the falsified vaccination information in a while Wednesday.
Following the raid on his dwelling, the usually brash Mr. Bolsonaro appeared solemn as he spoke on a right-wing tv program. “Throughout my visits to the U.S., not at any second was a vaccination card required,” he stated. “So there was no fraud on my half. ” At instances he appeared to tear up throughout the interview.
Amongst these arrested on Wednesday was Mauro Cid Barbosa, a navy official who was Mr. Bolsonaro’s secretary and adviser.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seized on Mr. Bolsonaro’s mishandling of the pandemic throughout final yr’s election, which he narrowly gained. Vowing to carry the veil of secrecy, Mr. Lula has begun reviewing tons of of confidentiality seals put in place throughout Mr. Bolsonaro’s time in workplace.
“I’m going to let Brazilians know why you cover a lot stuff,” Mr. Lula instructed Mr. Bolsonaro throughout a debate final yr.
Individually, Mr. Bolsonaro faces a collection of investigations, together with one for spreading election misinformation and for uplifting the Jan. 8 invasion of Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Courtroom and presidential places of work. Brazil’s electoral courtroom is predicted to rule this month on one case during which Mr. Bolsonaro is accused of abusing his workplace when he criticized Brazil’s voting system in a speech to international diplomats forward of final yr’s election.
He’s additionally the topic of a number of Supreme Courtroom inquiries, together with into his dealing with of the pandemic; accusations of spreading misinformation; and a leak of categorised info when he mentioned a hack of the nation’s election company to assist his baseless claims that Brazil’s voting system is unsafe.
If convicted in any of the investigations, Mr. Bolsonaro might be dominated ineligible to run for the presidency within the subsequent election.
Flávia Milhorance reported from Rio de Janeiro and Ana Ionova reported from Toronto.
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