By SCM REPORTER
Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro has dodged a legal bullet after top prosecutors moved to bin a massive probe into his handling of the pandemic.
The firebrand former President—who famously dismissed Covid-19 as a “little flu”—is no longer facing the heat over sensational claims of “genocide” and high-level corruption.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Brasília confirmed it is shutting the book on the investigation, which was triggered by a bombshell Senate inquiry.
Senators had previously recommended the 70-year-old face a laundry list of charges, claiming his refusal to buy vaccines and his obsession with unproven “miracle cures” like hydroxychloroquine led to hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths.
But government lawyers have now performed a U-turn, arguing there isn’t enough hard evidence to prove Bolsonaro’s actions were actually criminal.
Reacting to the news, a defiant Bolsonaro—who has always maintained the probe was a “political witch hunt” by his rivals—is said to be “delighted” to have the cloud lifted.
His supporters have hailed the move as a victory for common sense, while his critics have branded the decision a “slap in the face” to the families of the 700,000 Brazilians lost to the virus.
The Rise and Fall of the “Covid Skeptic”
The Inquiry: In 2021, a marathon six-month Senate probe (known as the CPI) produced a 1,300-page report accusing Bolsonaro of nine crimes, including “crimes against humanity.”
The “Genocide” Claim: Prosecutors investigated whether the government intentionally let the virus rip through Indigenous communities in the Amazon to clear land for farming and mining.
The Vaccine Delay: The former leader was accused of ignoring dozens of emails from vaccine giant Pfizer, allegedly because he preferred “herd immunity” over jabs.
While this pandemic case is being shelved, Bolsonaro isn’t totally in the clear. He still faces separate legal battles over an alleged “coup plot” to stay in power after losing the 2022 election to current President Lula da Silva.
