Today, Pazuello manages to keep it together in Covid inquiry deposition, but faces another round today. Research uncovers another “lost decade” as investment hits 50-year low. Pandemic causes spurt of discouraged workers.
Pazuello: Round 2
Wednesday’s deposition of former Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello was surrounded with high expectations by both the political class and everyday citizens, who were all braced for a tense clash. But, as political scientist Filipe Campante predicted on our Explaining Brazil podcast, “when expectations are this high, results will certainly be underwhelming.”
How it went. Senators seemed to be walking on eggshells, trying not to corner Mr. Pazuello so much that he would invoke his right to remain silent and avoid self-incriminating answers. The former minister answered all questions — at times defiantly of the Covid hearings committee — and lied at least ten times, according to fact-checking agency Aos Fatos. However, he was rarely called out on these inconsistencies.
- The committee also failed to do its homework. With an administration that so openly disregarded health experts’ advice, there was plenty of evidence of Mr. Pazuello’s mismanagement of the pandemic while in office between May 2020 and March 2021. Brasília correspondent Débora Álvares analyzed dozens...