Politics

Former Health Minister Pazuello granted right to remain silent before Senate

The Brazilian Supreme Court has granted a preventive habeas corpus, the local equivalent to pleading the fifth, to former Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello ahead of his testimony before the Senate’s Covid hearings committee. The former cabinet minister is due to appear before senators on May 19, in what was set to be – at least until this ruling – the most anticipated deposition of the investigation so far.

Mr. Pazuello was Brazil’s top health official between May 2020 and March 2021, overseeing the deadliest stretches of the pandemic thus far. 

Under his leadership, the Health Ministry abandoned science-based principles and opted instead to closely hew to President Jair Bolsonaro’s preferences as regards health policy. The country shunned deals to purchase vaccines, pushed treatment with chloroquine (an antimalarial drug with no proven effect against Covid-19), and remained aloof as Manaus — the biggest city in the Amazon basin — saw hospitals...

Gustavo Ribeiro

An award-winning journalist, Gustavo has extensive experience covering Brazilian politics and international affairs. He has been featured across Brazilian and French media outlets and founded The Brazilian Report in 2017. He holds a master’s degree in Political Science and Latin American studies from Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris.

Recent Posts

ADNOC gives up on Braskem acquisition

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is no longer interested in buying Novonor's controlling…

21 hours ago

Flooding in southern Brazil disrupts logistics network

Brazilian railway operator Rumo announced a partial interruption of its activities in southern Brazil on…

21 hours ago

Tech Roundup: Are Brazilians willing to use crypto for payments?

Welcome to our Tech Roundup, where we bring you the biggest stories in technology and…

23 hours ago

Alexandre de Moraes: between criticism and justification

Justice Moraes' decisions are the topic of much debate in Brazil, but criticism or defense…

24 hours ago

Petro’s far-fetched train project to compete with the Panama Canal

Panama was once a part of Colombia. Its canal, a monumental engineering achievement of its…

2 days ago

Market Roundup: The new skills corporate board members need

The specialization trend among corporate board members It is not only a matter of perception:…

3 days ago