Brazil: Why Did Police Raid Jair Bolsonaro's Home?

By BERT HOOVER May 03 2023, 21:38 PM EDT

As part of a probe into the former president's COVID-19 vaccination records, Brazilian police searched Jair Bolsonaro's home on Wednesday, arrested his closest advisors, and seized his cell phone, according to Reuters.

When Bolsonaro's medical records were made public in February, many were confused that he was listed as having received a COVID vaccination despite his outspoken opposition to the vaccine.

Brazil police found evidence of tampering with Bolsonaro's vaccine records in the final weeks of his presidency in late December, according to documents submitted to the Supreme Court, just before he traveled to the US, where most foreign visitors are required to be vaccinated.

The news that Bolsonaro's Brasilia residence had been raided was confirmed by the president, who also reaffirmed to the press that he had never received a COVID vaccine. He denied any involvement in the purported document tampering.

"For my part, there was nothing falsified. I didn't take the vaccine. Period," Jair Bolsonaro said, adding that his phone was seized.

Address Where Jair Bolsonaro Lives with Wife Also Under Brazil Vaccine Probe

The defense team for Lieutenant-Colonel Mauro Cid told CNN Brasil that their client has not yet been given access to the investigation, "which is considerable and confidential."

"We will declare as soon as we obtain a copy of the records," the defense said.

Also in Brasilia, near the Jardim Botânico, CNN Brasil reported that police conducted a search and seizure related to the same probe at an address linked to where Jair Bolsonaro and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro live.

"Today, the Federal Police searched and searched our house, we don't know the reason, and even our lawyer did not have access to the files. Only my husband's cell phone was seized," Michelle Bolsonaro tweeted, adding that the press informed them that the reason would be her husband and their daughter Laura's falsification of the immunization card.

She also said that she was the only one vaccinated in their house.

The Federal Police are looking into Bolsonaro's 12-year-old daughter, Cid's wife, and other Bolsonaro advisers.

Bolsonaro informed reporters on Wednesday that his vaccination card was not tampered with and that he was not inoculated against Covid-19.

Brazil police claim they are investigating the materials found during the searches and interrogating people they believe may have information relevant to their inquiry.

The police report states that between November 2021 and December 2022, the suspects "altered the truth concerning a legally relevant fact, that is, the condition of immunization against Covid-19 of the beneficiaries."

The things that were investigated could be crimes of violating preventive health measures, criminal association, putting false information into information systems, and corrupting children, according to the police statement.

Jair Bolsonaro Traveled to US Unvaccinated

Three months after going into self-imposed exile in the United States-he went to Florida to miss the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the man who defeated him in October's election-the former president returned to Brazil at the end of March.

Proof of immunization against Covid-19 is required for nearly all visitors to the United States. On Wednesday, Bolsonaro said he had "never been asked for a vaccine card anywhere."

Since he stepped down as leader at the end of 2022, the far-right populist has been plagued by legal issues, Financial Times noted.

Investigators are investigating whether Bolsonaro was involved in the January invasion of government buildings by hundreds of his hardline supporters who falsely claimed that his loss to Lula was due to vote fraud.

Bolsonaro was not in the country throughout the unrest.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: 'Nothing to hide,' says ex-President Bolsonaro after police raid home - From Reuters