Good morning! Today, Covaxin testimonies bring yet another promise of fireworks at the Senate’s Covid inquiry. The crisis comes as President Bolsonaro grows unpopular. Rattled by the coronavirus, industries want trade barriers.
Covaxin whistleblower promises to “bring down the Republic”
The eyes of Brazilian politics will be fixed on today’s session of the Senate’s Covid hearings committee. Brothers Luis Miranda, a congressman, and Luis Roberto Miranda, a senior Health Ministry official, will speak before the inquiry about alleged illegalities involving the government’s USD 300-million deal to purchase the Indian-made Covaxin vaccine.
- Luis Roberto said he suffered “abnormal” pressure to sign off on the deal, despite questionable clauses that included making advance payments to a shell corporation in Singapore. His congressman brother claims to have flagged these concerns with President Jair Bolsonaro, during a meeting in March.
- The government inexplicably rushed to secure the Covaxin deal, even though health regulator Anvisa had denied its manufacturer a certificate of best practices (a decision that was overturned weeks ago).
Why it matters. For the first time, accusations involve the president himself. Congressman Miranda reportedly told the committee’s rapporteur that he could “bring down the Republic with what [he] knows.”
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