First meeting of the Jair Bolsonaro Administration Investigation Committee

What will this parliamentary commission of inquiry work on?

Demanded by more than a third of the Senate and supported by the Brazilian judiciary, the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee (ICC), which begins its work on Tuesday, April 27, must examine what is possible “oversight” For Bolsonaro’s government in fighting the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The task of the eleven members of the investigation committee is huge: it’s a matter of studying what has been accomplished, but also what has not been done since the Covid-19 virus swept Brazil. It is the worst-affected country in the world after the United States, with more than 390,000 deaths, according to data compiled by American University Johns Hopkins.

→ report. Covid-19 in Brazil, declared a health disaster

Among the many question marks surrounding the management of the health crisis in Brazil, in particular, are two sensitive issues: the promotion and use of controversial treatments such as chloroquine; And the negativity of the federal state in the face of the fate of Manaus, an Amazonian city that was particularly affected at the beginning of the epidemic in 2020, and then again this year, with the emergence of the Brazilian alternative called, in Brazil, the “Amazon” alternative. “

► What is Jair Bolsonaro’s reproach?

No head of state or prime minister has emerged from the health crisis unscathed: everyone was surprised, at one point or another, and made mistakes. But the Brazilian president, from the start of the epidemic, chose his camp: the anti-science camp of “Corona Skeptics”, in which he appeared as one of the leaders alongside his main source of political inspiration, Donald Trump.

Like the former president of the United States, Jair Bolsonaro has always compared Covid-19 to “the flu”, opposing the wearing of a mask and the containment measures taken by local authorities (governors, mayors, etc.). And when the pandemic spread, he only marginally revised his judgment.

So much so, that Brazil today is still going through very dark hours – it is already clear that April will be the deadliest month since the start of the epidemic, erasing the previous record set in March. As for the vaccination campaign, it started timidly: currently, only 12.6% of Brazilians have received at least one dose.

► What are the risks of the Brazilian president?

For a period of ninety days, renewable once, if necessary, the committee chaired by three men, including an ally of the president, but critical of his health administration and support from Lula, the historical figure of the Brazilian left, wields full power to investigate. I especially have planned to hear from former health ministers of Jair Bolsonaro, whose testimonies could be very harmful to the head of state.

The nightmare of the National Palace is that the president knows the same fate as his model Donald Trump: an impeachment measure approaching the next presidential election, scheduled for the end of 2022 in Brazil.

The Parliamentary Investigation Commission, which must present its findings to justice, does not have the power to sanction or initiate proceedings Isolation. But his revelations could make this measure inevitable.