Prosecutor asks for the removal of Bolsonaro and his cabinet

A prosecutor at Brazil’s Federal Accounts Court has requested the suspension of President Jair Bolsonaro and part of his cabinet for being “responsible for the current chaos the country is experiencing.” Besides Mr. Bolsonaro, Deputy Prosecutor-General Lucas Furtado wants Chief of Staff Walter Braga Netto, Economy Minister Paulo Guedes, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello (who remains in office), and their deputies to be relieved from their duties. He considers them “responsible for the government’s inertia and omission in implementing public policies to fight the pandemic.”

Mr. Furtado requests that Vice President Hamilton Mourão take office as acting head of state.

The Federal Accounts Court operates under the legislative branch as a sort of audit tribunal which monitors public spending. Its prosecution office is a watchdog to help the court in its duties. By placing the removal of the president and part of his cabinet under his own jurisdiction, Mr. Furtado argues that failures in tackling the coronavirus outbreak are detrimental to the federal budget.

“The entire federal healthcare structure will represent a major budget loss if it doesn’t do its job of caring for the population in this moment of dire need,” wrote Mr. Furtado. “It is unacceptable to keep all this structure inactive for political reasons as people perish due to predictable and avoidable problems.”

The deputy prosecutor-general...