President’s son makes his mark on policymaking

For over 15 months, the Brazilian government refrained from making a single nomination to the boards of any of the country’s 11 regulatory agencies — leaving 40 percent of seats vacant or occupied by caretaker members. This situation was made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted work in the Senate, where appointees are confirmed. However, disagreements around nominations caused conflict between President Jair Bolsonaro and Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, further complicating the process.

But after months of inaction, the government is now keen on making up for lost time, making appointments in droves. On Monday, a total of 15 nominations were confirmed by senators — and others are expected soon.

And these names all have one thing in common: they were handpicked by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the president’s eldest son, who — despite...