Brazil President Poor Handling Of COVID-19 Situation Heats Up, Senators Back Charges

Things do not look promising for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who has been heavily criticized for how he managed the COVID-19 situation in his country.

Charges are allegedly set to be filed against the Brazilian prexy and senators are reportedly backing it. Bolsonaro is facing charges that include crimes against humanity after 600,000 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in Brazil according to a report from BBC.

Bolsonaro maintains that he is guilty of absolutely nothing. Regardless of his claim, the fact is that the 66-year-old’s popularity has been severely tarnished.

The death toll in Brazil is second only to the United States.

For now, there is no assurance that the actual criminal charges on Bolsonaro. That will depend on Prosecutor-General Augusto Aras who critics feel will try to defend the 66-year-old leader.

Bolsonaro has come under fire for his handling of the coronavirus in the country. He is being blamed for allegedly allowing the virus to rip through the country with hopes of achieving herd immunity.

Other than that, Bolsonaro is being singled out as the main person behind numerous errors committed by the federal government. The lead author of the report is Senator Renan Calheiro. He is urging the panel to charge President Bolsonaro with crimes against humanity to be submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Regardless of this development, the move is only one step in what is expected to be a lengthy process. It will be up to the ICC to determine if the case will move forward.

Aside from crimes against humanity, the Senate committee is also charging Bolsonaro with several others. This includes incitement to crime, falsification of documents and the violation of social rights. Bolsonaro is also being charged with misusing public funds and spreading fake news about the pandemic.

The Senate’s recommendation is expected to reach the prosecutor-general on Wednesday, Oct. 27. This will reportedly be carefully reviewed upon receipt, the Associated Press reported.

"It is a totally political report, without any legal basis," said Flavio Bolsonaro, one of the president's sons accused in the report. "The intent of some senators on the investigative committee is to cause the maximum amount of wear and tear on the president."