Bolsonaro in a PL act generates discomfort; allies minimize – 5/7/2023 – Power

The presence of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) at a PL Woman event, alongside his wife Michelle Bolsonaro (PL), in São Paulo, this Saturday (6), was criticized by allies close to the former president in a context in which his former order assistants and security guards have been arrested since the Federal Police operation that investigates alleged vaccine card fraud.

Interlocutors of the former president say they are revolted by what they see as Bolsonaro’s abandonment of his most faithful advisors. The assessment is that the former president does not set a good example and there is a fear that the prisoners will end up choosing, sooner or later, to carry out a plea bargain.

In their opinion, there was no climate for Bolsonaro to travel to a festive party event. The ex-president’s allies also demand public gestures of solidarity with the families of the arrested assistants.

As shown to SheetBolsonaro’s defense relies on the admission of guilt by Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, a former aide and right-hand man of the former president.

Allies of the former president believe that Cid will have no choice but to acknowledge having tampered with immunization certificates. At the same time, Bolsonaro’s lawyers are seeking to disassociate him from the episode.

Other deputies allied with the former president, however, defended his presence at the event, stating that it was Bolsonaro’s duty to honor Michelle and that the operation should be minimized, that is, it should not be a reason for the political agenda to be interrupted.

In total, six Bolsonaro allies were the subject of an arrest warrant last Wednesday (3): former assistants Mauro Cid and Luis Marcos dos Reis, security guards Max Guilherme and Sergio Cordeiro, Ailton Moraes Barros, candidate for state deputy for the PL-RJ in 2022, and João Carlos de Sousa Brecha, secretary in Duque de Caxias (RJ).

The PF operation also carried out search and seizure warrants at the former president’s addresses.

According to the investigation, the suspects would have inserted false data on Covid-19 vaccination into the Ministry of Health system between November 2021 and December 2022 so that beneficiaries could issue a certificate to travel to the United States.

At least Bolsonaro, his daughter Laura and Mauro Cid and two family members had their immunization data forged. According to the PF, Bolsonaro was aware of the fraudulent entry of data into the system.

The case was ignored by Bolsonaro in his speech at this Saturday’s event, in which he presented himself as an alternative to the country – despite running the risk of being ineligible in the 2026 election.

“Only death puts an end to our lives. While it does not arrive, we will always be available to be an alternative for our Brazil”, said the former president.

The event served to induct Congresswoman Rosana Valle into the São Paulo directory of the PL Mulher, in a ceremony at the Legislative Assembly. Michelle commands the national tab.

Members of the PL present at the event stated that there was no bad atmosphere between Bolsonaro and allies and that the former president was teased by politicians.

According to deputies, Bolsonaro commented on the operation to a circle of politicians gathered in a room behind the scenes of the ceremony. The former president would have said that the operation was absurd, in the sense of exaggerated, and that there was no point in accusing him of fraud, since he always said that he would not vaccinate himself.

Bolsonaro also clarified that he entered the United States with the passport of the head of state and, therefore, he was not required to have a vaccination certificate.