Search for ex-Brazilian President Bolsonaro leads to arrest of his ‘right hand’ | outside

Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid Barbosa, described by the Brazilian press as Bolsonaro’s “right-hand man”, was one of six people arrested this morning when police raided several addresses in the capital Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. Two of Bolsonaro’s bodyguards have also been arrested.

The former president was scheduled to be questioned later in the day. His mobile phone and that of his wife, Michele Bolsonaro, had already been confiscated during a search of their home in Brasilia, although he reportedly refused to give police his password.

Brazilian Federal Police believe that between November 2021 and December last year, he falsified a series of official Covid vaccination records in the Brazilian Ministry of Health database in order to undertake international travel. After losing the October presidential election to his left-wing rival Luiz Inácia Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro spent three months in the United States, requesting a vaccination certificate. It concerns the statements of Bolsonaro himself, his twelve-year-old daughter Laura, Mauro Cid Barbosa and his family.

Since his return to Brazil, the former president has already been questioned twice by the Federal Police. The first hearing took place on April 5 and involved jewelry from Saudi Arabia that was allegedly brought into the country illegally. The second session took place last week and focused on Bolsonaro’s role in the January 8 uprisings and attempted coup, when many of Bolsonaro’s supporters refused to accept Lula’s victory.

Bolsonaro has been condemned internationally for his reckless handling of the Covid-19 outbreak in Brazil, which has killed more than 700,000 people. The far-right politician has repeatedly undermined “little flu” vaccination policies. He claimed that he refused to be vaccinated, although he did not disclose his vaccination records to substantiate the claim.

Last week, Lula, who took office in January, said Bolsonaro should stand trial for his actions during that “massacre”.