Politics

Was Bolsonaro wiretapped by the Covaxin whistleblowers?

A meeting between the president and Congressman Luis Miranda could cause serious distress for the government, especially amid rumors Jair Bolsonaro may have been recorded

bolsonaro Congressman Luis Miranda (right), flanked by Senator Omar Aziz. Photo: Waldemir Barreto/SF
Congressman Luis Miranda (right), flanked by Senator Omar Aziz. Photo: Waldemir Barreto/SF

“It was in the library, at the president’s home,” said Congressman Luis Miranda, when asked by The Brazilian Report where he had met with President Jair Bolsonaro to warn him of irregularities in the now-canceled USD 300 million contract to purchase the Indian Covaxin vaccine.

The scandal surrounding Covaxin has consumed Brazilian politics over the last week, after Health Ministry official Luis Ricardo Miranda revealed he had been coerced into greenlighting the vaccine deal, despite flagging a series of issues with the contract. His brother, Congressman Luis Miranda, claimed he met with the president to inform him about the deal’s inconsistencies, saying Mr. Bolsonaro dismissed the irregularities as “monkey business” by his House whip, Congressman Ricardo Barros.

President Bolsonaro admits the meeting took place, but has not confirmed what the pair discussed. Luis Miranda, meanwhile, is adamant that he can prove the content of their conversation, raising doubts about whether or not Mr. Bolsonaro was secretly recorded in his own home.

When asked if this was the...

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