(Photo : Photo by Andressa Anholete/Getty Images)
BRASILIA, BRAZIL - OCTOBER 19: President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro smiles during a press conference with president of Colombia Ivan Duque (not in frame) as part of an official visit to Brazil at Planalto Palace on October 19, 2021 in Brasilia, Brazil.
Brazilian senators previously called for mass homicide and genocide charges against President Jair Bolsonaro.
But on Tuesday, the Brazilian senators decided to withdraw their recommendations for charges against the president.
The allegations first came to light in a 1,200-page draft report leaked by a representative of the Brazilian Senate Pandemic Parliamentary Inquiry (CPI). Bolsonaro is solely being blamed for the over 300,000 deaths of Brazilians due to his policies.
Why were the recommended charges dropped?
CPI president Sen. Omar Aziz said they decided to drop the allegations of genocide against Brazilian Indigenous communities due to a lack of consensus.
"What we agreed upon is the issue of genocide, which was withdrawn. I think it's for the better. Sen. Renan Calheiros heard arguments from everybody, it was very clear," Aziz said via CNN.
CPI vice president Sen. Randolfe Rodrigues also confirmed that the mass murder charges would also be dropped. However, charges of the epidemic that resulted in death will replace them.
The final document that will include the changes in the charges against Bolsonaro will be submitted on Wednesday.
Jair Bolsonaro's critics believe he should be charged with murder
Bolsonaro and the CPI have been attacking each other in recent months.
In July, the president accused the CPI of ignoring other allegations of corruption across the country by focusing on him and his government. At the time, Bolsonaro said that he was sorry for all the deaths, but healthy people were at a lower risk of dying.
According to the Evening Standard, the CPI and Bolsonaro's critics initially believed he should be charged with murder because he refused to buy COVID-19 vaccines immediately.
Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic criticized
Critics also slammed the Brazilian president over his decision to rail against lockdowns and not to wear masks when he's out in public. Bolsonaro has also not received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Earlier this month, Bolsonaro drew flak after questioning the need for vaccine passports to go to various events and gatherings.
The Brazilian president was barred from watching a football match because he's not vaccinated. During a recent interview, he questioned why the staff at the stadium prevented him from entering because he was not inoculated.
Bolsonaro also said that he has more antibodies than whoever received the jab because he already tested positive for COVID-19 a few months ago.
According to Inside the Games, Bolsonaro has been outspoken about his skepticism towards the vaccine. He has also regularly downplayed the seriousness of the virus and has publicly criticized the governors and mayors that imposed localized lockdowns.
After all, Bolsonaro doesn't think that there's a need for Brazil to go into a statewide lockdown even though the total number of COVID-19 deaths has already reached over 600,000.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Brazil has also reached more than 21.5 million, making the country second-worst globally.
Bolsonaro is up for reelection next year. But he will most likely lose because his approval ratings are at an all-time low due to his pandemic response.
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