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Weekly Report - 08 July 2021 (WR-21-27)

BRAZIL: Embattled Bolsonaro unfazed

Tens of thousands of people took part in nationwide protests against Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on 3 July. Allegations of corruption surrounding the acquisition of a vaccine against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic provided the catalyst for the protests. The Bolsonaro administration’s mismanagement of the pandemic has dented his popularity but proof of corruption in the procurement of vaccines he was publicly loath to acquire would savage his credibility given the manner in which he excoriated the left-wing Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) administrations that preceded him during his election campaign. However, Bolsonaro’s support in congress remains solid at present, meaning he is not at risk of impeachment as things stand. And he took the opportunity this week to reach out to his support base by announcing that he will nominate an evangelical pastor to the supreme court (STF) next week.

STF Justice Rosa Weber authorised the attorney general’s office (PGR) on 2 July to carry out an investigation into President Bolsonaro for dereliction of duty in response to a request by three senators [WR-21-26]. Luis Miranda, a federal deputy for the Democratas (DEM) party, last week told a parliamentary commission of inquiry (CPI) in the senate, set up to investigate the federal government’s Covid-19 response, that he had warned Bolsonaro back in March about the purchase of the Covaxin vaccine produced by the Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech at an inflated price but the head of state had decided not to divulge the irregularities in the public procurement contract.

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