Nine unpunished crimes by Jair Bolsonaro

The most nefarious politician in Brazilian history has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for leading an attempted coup to retain power. The trial of Jair Bolsonaro and his cronies constitutes the second greatest civilizational advance in Brazil since the country became a Republic – the first being the 1988 Constitution. But it cannot be said that complete justice has been done in relation to the tyrant: his crimes during the Covid-19 pandemic are and will likely remain unpunished. Their gravity is absolute. If not punished, at least let them not be forgotten.

The pusillanimity of the then Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras, relegated to the drawers a momentous report prepared by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry that investigated the acts and omissions of the Federal Government during the pandemic. It was only a short time ago, and everything seems already destined for oblivion.

The symbolic image of Bolsonaro during the pandemic might be that of the cruel imitator of a person struggling to breathe, suffocating in a public hospital due to lack of oxygen. Or perhaps the ridiculous choreography with a box of chloroquine in his hands circling an emu? How about the image of the person causing crowds without a mask and promoting "motorcycle rallies"? The image of the anti-vaccine fighter, on the other hand, has the potential to be the strongest.

The monstrous and the ridiculous are personified in Bolsonaro.

Aside from the sadness caused by the deaths he contributed to, nine crimes attributed to him, investigated by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry, remain without formal charges, which Augusto Aras chose to ignore. Let's look at them:

• Prevarication — omission or delay in acting when there was a functional duty to do so, favoring third parties. The CPI pointed out that Bolsonaro postponed decisions and failed to act to acquire vaccines or protective measures, favoring his own political interests or avoiding admitting the seriousness of the pandemic.
• Quackery Bolsonaro promoted and encouraged the use of medications with no proven efficacy against Covid-19, such as chloroquine and ivermectin ("Covid kit"), even knowing of studies that refuted their effectiveness.
• Epidemic resulting in death (article 267 of the Penal Code) The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) pointed out that the Federal Government's negligence in sanitary measures, the promotion of ineffective treatments, and misinformation contributed to thousands of preventable deaths.
• Violation of preventive sanitary measures (article 268 of the Penal Code) — Disrespect for or obstruction of sanitary measures. Bolsonaro participated in gatherings, downplayed the use of masks, and promoted the reopening of businesses and schools in violation of official health protocols.
• Misuse of public funds — misuse of public funds related to the pandemic. The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) pointed to evidence of irregularities in the purchase of chloroquine, rapid tests of dubious efficacy, respirators, and vaccines at inflated prices or without proper bidding processes.
• Incitement to crime (article 286 of the Penal Code) Bolsonaro encouraged the disregard for isolation measures and the use of masks, disobeying state and municipal laws and decrees, in addition to calling for demonstrations against the restrictions.
• Forgery of a private document The parliamentary commission of inquiry uncovered cases of official documents or technical notes presented to justify government actions that did not correspond to reality, such as reports on medicines or vaccines.
• Crimes of responsibility — infractions that would justify impeachment proceedings (violation of social rights, incompatibility with the dignity of the office, etc.). The report classified several of Bolsonaro's actions as violations of constitutional duties, justifying potential impeachment.
• Crimes against humanity — widespread or systematic acts against the population, including extermination, persecution, or other inhumane acts. The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry recommended forwarding evidence to the International Criminal Court, pointing out that the Bolsonaro government's handling of the pandemic could constitute crimes against humanity due to a combination of omissions, misinformation, and encouragement of risky behaviors for the population.