By Tom Kingsbury | Head of Politics
After a six-month inquiry, a final draft report has been made examining the Brazilian GovernmentÔÇÖs handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The report recommends that BrazilÔÇÖs President Jair Bolsonaro be accused of multiple crimes, which (if he were found guilty) would put him in prison for more than 100 years.
Included in the charges reccommended by the report is that of crimes against humanity. Until very recently, previous drafts had also included homicide and genocide.
The charge of genocide had been included in response to the disporportionate number of indigenous Brazilian citizens that died as a result of the pandemic, and due to BolsonaroÔÇÖs history of discriminatory comments against indigenous Brazilians – he once said: ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs a shame that the Brazilian cavalry wasnÔÇÖt as efficient as the Americans, who exterminated their IndiansÔÇØ.
The report is clear in its view of the Bolsonaro administrationÔÇÖs attitude towards indigenous people during the pandemic, stating: ÔÇ£The federal government found in the virus an ally to strike the indigenousÔÇØ, and that there was ÔÇ£a clear causal link between the anti-indigenous posture of [BrazilÔÇÖs] top leader and the harm suffered by indigenous peopleÔÇØ.
It added: ÔÇ£Even before the pandemic, President Jair Bolsonaro commanded an anti-indigenous policy that deliberately exposed native peoples to a lack of assistance, harrassment, land invasions and violence, with these acts of hostility intensifying […] after the arrival of the virus.ÔÇØ
The report also criticised Bolsonaro more generally for his handling of the pandemic, which killed over 600,000 Brazilians – the worldÔÇÖs second highest COVID-19 related death toll, behind the US.
Bolsonaro has consistently spoken out against transmission-reducing measures, criticising mask wearing, lockdowns and vaccines throughout  the pandemic.
The inquiry found that ÔÇ£transmission rates could have been reduced by about 40%, which means 120,000 lives could have been saved by the end of March 2021.ÔÇØ
In a broader statement it also said: ÔÇ£[We must] never forget what happened in this country or the innocent people who lost their lives as a result of the governmentÔÇÖs reckless handling of the pandemicÔÇØ.
A professor from the University of Sao Paulo, Deisy Ventura, said the revelation of the governmentÔÇÖs deliberate policy of herd immunity needed to have consequences – ÔÇ£If this isnÔÇÖt recognised as a crime, as something that needs punishing, then the risk is that this could become natural. The biggest fear those of us who study pandemics have is that the use of the herd immunity through infection strategy might be legitimised as a respose to other epidemics.ÔÇØ
Bolsonaro has dismissed the inquiry as being politically motivated, stating: ÔÇ£we know that we are guilty of absolutely nothing. We know that we did the right thing from the first moment.ÔÇØ He added that the report ÔÇ£produced nothing but hatred and resentmentÔÇØ.
The president of the inquiry, Senator Omar Aziz, said: ÔÇ£The president committed many crimes and he will pay for themÔÇØ.
The investigation concluded on October 26, and will be voted on by the Senate Commission, meaning it could still be vetoed or amended. Even if it is published in its current form, Bolsonaro is not guaranteed to face criminal charges.
However, the report will doubtless harm his reputation, which has already been damaged by the coronavirus pandemicÔÇÖs devastating impact in Brazil, ahead of the countryÔÇÖs 2022 election.
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