RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Federal Police on Monday asked Justice Rosa Weber of the Supreme Court (STF), to evaluate the government’s request to investigate federal deputy Luis Miranda (DEM-DF) for defamatory accusations in the case of the purchase of the Indian Covid vaccine Covaxin.
In the government’s view, the deputy lied to the Covid CPI by claiming that he had warned President Jair Bolsonaro about evidence of corruption regarding improper activities within the Ministry of Health and that the President had allegedly done nothing about it.
Miranda’s allegation was repeatedly mentioned for weeks in major Brazilian media groups and their various news products and has damaged the president’s reputation.
The recent poll results, according to which a slight majority of the Brazilian population for the first time favored impeachment proceedings against the sitting president, must be seen in this light.
Another poll also timed to coincide with the media cycle of the Miranda statement, in which a clear majority of the population indicated that they believe there is corruption in the Bolsonaro government, also falls within the same period.