Regardless of whether the prosecutor-general acts, the report's allegations are expected to fuel criticism of the far-right leader, whose approval ratings have slumped ahead of his 2022 reelection campaign. In Brazil, members of congressional committees can investigate, but don't have the power to indict.
The document has to be approved by the committee before being sent to the office of the prosecutor-general, who would decide whether to carry forward the investigation and eventually pursue charges.
The report still must be approved by a panel before being considered for prosecution
Critics have denounced Bolsonaro for downplaying COVID-19's severity, ignoring international health guidelines on masks and restrictions on activity designed to prevent the virus' spread, touting unproven treatments and delaying the acquisition of vaccines.Īnger over the president's response prompted creation of the Senate committee in April, which has investigated allegations that Bolsonaro's management of the pandemic caused many of Brazil's more than 600,000 deaths from the disease.Ĭalheiros, who the committee formally designated to write the report, was to read a summary later Wednesday to the 11-person committee.
