Senate report urges charging Brazil’s leader over pandemic

By DÉBORA ÁLVARES and DIANE JEANTET
Associated Press

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — A Brazilian Senate report has recommended pursuing crimes against humanity and other charges against President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly bungling Brazil’s response to COVID-19. Senator Renan Calheiros presented the proposal on Wednesday to a committee of colleagues that investigated the Brazilian government’s management of the pandemic. His report calls for Bolsonaro’s indictment on charges ranging from charlatanism to misuse of public funds. The far-right president has downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and touted misinformation and unproven COVID-19 treatments while ignoring international health guidelines. The decision on whether to file most of the charges would be up to Brazil’s prosecutor-general, a Bolsonaro appointee whose office declined to comment.