Federal police in Brazil recently conducted a series of raids on properties linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro, as part of an investigation into fraudulent Covid-19 vaccination records. The police are focusing on allegations of data alterations that enabled certain people to obtain falsified certificates of vaccination in order to travel to the United States. Bolsonaro himself is known to be a Covid-19 vaccine sceptic who has previously claimed false concerns about the medication.
The raids included a search of Bolsonaro’s own home, with his mobile phone seized by authorities. Several of Bolsonaro’s aides and associates were also arrested, including his personal security guard and secretary. Bolsonaro has denied any knowledge of or involvement in the activities being investigated.
The falsification of data is said to have taken place between November 2021 and December 2022, while Bolsonaro was still serving as Brazil’s president. Reports indicate that the data introduced into Covid-19 vaccination records held by the Ministry of Health allowed individuals who had not been vaccinated to fraudulently obtain the certificate required to enter the United States. The Office of the Comptroller General has also been investigating Bolsonaro’s own vaccination status, and warned that data could have been manipulated.
Bolsonaro has a history of making false claims about vaccinations. Amongst other things, he has suggested that vaccines increase the likelihood of contraction of AIDS. Despite his personal scepticism towards the medication, public records reveal that Bolsonaro has himself been vaccinated against Covid-19 at some point.
The recent raids are part of a wider series of investigations involving Bolsonaro. He has previously been implicated in allegations of involving foreign gifts and attacks on the Brazilian electoral system, among other issues. These investigations, and now the newly-reported coronavirus vaccine fraud probe, are putting the former president under considerable pressure – and have highlighted the importance of ensuring accuracy and accountability in the maintenance of vaccination records.
