Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been indicted by the federal police for allegedly falsifying his COVID vaccination certificate. The indictment, released by Brazil’s Supreme Court, follows an investigation that began last year. Bolsonaro, a far-right politician who previously claimed he was not vaccinated, has been under scrutiny since suspicions arose that he ordered aides to forge his health record to enable international travel.
The federal police report, spanning 231 pages, states that Bolsonaro and 16 others conspired to issue false certificates to gain undue advantages during the raging pandemic. The potential charges include criminal association and the insertion of false data into the public system, both of which carry imprisonment penalties. The attorney general’s office will now decide whether to proceed with charges against the former head of state.
Bolsonaro’s defense team asserts that he was unaware of any advisers fabricating vaccination certificates and claims that those responsible acted independently. In May of last year, Bolsonaro was questioned by the police regarding these allegations, and his residence was searched. He accused the authorities of attempting to manufacture a case against him.
In January, Brazil’s comptroller general’s office confirmed that Bolsonaro’s COVID vaccination certificate had been forged but recommended closing the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the individuals responsible for entering false data. Bolsonaro’s defense team has decried this as political persecution and argued that, as president, he was exempt from presenting any certificates during his trips. However, a close aide, army colonel Mauro Cid, admitted to introducing fake data into the public health system for Bolsonaro and his daughter, as well as providing them with the fraudulent certificates. Cid was arrested in May 2023 but later released after reaching a plea deal.
Bolsonaro currently faces multiple legal challenges, including an investigation into whether he attempted to smuggle expensive diamond jewelry into Brazil and prevent it from becoming part of the presidency’s public collection. However, the most significant inquiry revolves around his alleged involvement in a coup plot to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, which he claimed was rigged. As his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was inaugurated, Bolsonaro’s loyal supporters besieged government buildings. Former military aides have testified that Bolsonaro had planned to request military intervention if he lost the election.
