High tides and a missing jet ski

This week began with an unusual twist, as the Federal Police raided the home of one of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s politician sons in connection with recent allegations that the previous administration had created a parallel intelligence agency to spy on political opponents, as the former president himself claimed not to fully trust Abin, Brazil’s official intelligence agency.

Neither Mr. Bolsonaro nor his sons were in the house at the time of the raid, having coincidentally or not taken a fishing and jet ski trip at the time. The house, located in the Rio de Janeiro beach town of Angra dos Reis, became the center of attention when investigators found a strange discrepancy when the family returned. They had gone fishing with a boat and two jet skis, but returned with only one jet ski, raising questions about where the other one ended up. The Federal Police went about investigating whether this third craft was used to transport and conceal evidence from the home of Carlos Bolsonaro, a Rio de Janeiro city councilor.

But let’s put aside speculation and focus on the facts. The investigation puts Bolsonaro’s family in potentially precarious territory, suggesting illegal activities that could have more serious consequences than becoming ineligible for public office. Or, the penalties may end up lighter, along the lines of some family members being temporarily stripped of the privilege of riding their beloved jet skis.

Check out the creation of this cartoon on The Brazilian Report’s TikTok account (@brazilianreport).

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