Federal police in Brazil recommended criminal charges against former President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday, accusing the ousted executive of falsifying his personal COVID-19 vaccination records before traveling to the United States.
According to the indictment, Bolsonaro, who had just lost his reelection bid to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, asked an aide to obtain fraudulent documents claiming that he, his 13-year-old daughter, and 16 other associates had been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Sao Paulo in July 2021.
An investigation into the matter determined that Bolsonaro had left the city the day before the recorded vaccination date, and the nurse said to have administered the shot claimed she was no longer working at the public healthcare center at that time.
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The aide said to have falsified the records, identified by authorities as Mauro Cid, was arrested in May 2023 and agreed to testify against the former president. Police claim that the fake COVID vaccine cards allowed Bolsonaro to “obtain undue advantages related to the evasion of sanitary rules established during the pandemic period.” He now faces charges of falsifying government documents and criminal association.
Brazilian police are waiting on word from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine whether Bolsonaro presented the documents during his three-month stay in Florida following his election loss. At the time, most international visitors were required to show proof of vaccinations before entering the US. If Bolsonaro’s papers are found to have been fraudulent, he could face additional charges.
Related: Brazil Court Majority Bans Bolsonaro from Running for Office for Eight Years
During his time as president, Bolsonaro was openly critical of the COVID-19 vaccine, claiming it had negative side effects and joking that it would “turn people into alligators.” Instead, he recommended alternative treatments like Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, two antiviral drugs said to help treat the disease. His anti-vaccine rhetoric was widely condemned by the Brazilian government, and members of Brazil’s congress recommended that he be charged with “crimes against humanity.”
The former president has also been the target of multiple other investigations, including for allegedly participating in a coup to prevent Lula from taking office in 2023. He has denied any wrongdoing in all the cases brought against him, but his objections to the 2022 election led to him being disqualified from public office until 2030.
When informed of the latest charges, Bolsonaro told Reuters that “it’s a selective investigation.”
“I’m calm,” he continued. “The world knows that I didn’t take the vaccine.”
If convicted of falsifying health data, Bolsonaro could face anywhere from two to twelve years in prison, with an additional four years for criminal association.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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