Brazil: Ex-president Jair Bolsonaro's home raided in vaccine records probe

The Brazilian police on Wednesday (May 3) raided the home of former president Jair Bolsonaro and seized his mobile phone as part of an investigation into his Covid vaccination records. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, the investigation might answer questions about how Bolsonaro- who vowed never to get vaccinated against Covid- was registered as vaccinated in health records made public in February.

The police said they were investigating "false data" allegedly added to a national Covid database between November 2021 and December 2022, when Bolsonaro was Brazil's president.

Confirming the raid on his home, Bolsonaro reiterated he was never vaccinated against Covid, and denied any role in allegedly forging documents.

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"For my part, there was nothing falsified. I didn't take the vaccine. Period," Bolsonaro said.

"I did not take the vaccine, it was a personal decision of mine after reading the Pfizer package insert. They took a photo of my wife's vaccine card and she had the Janssen vaccine in the United States and my 12-year-old daughter Laura also did not get the vaccine. I am surprised by a search operation and seizure for such a reason and I have nothing more to say,” the former president said.

"My (mobile phone) has been seized, my phone has no password, I will make that very clear. I have nothing to hide. Not only about the vaccination card, but I also have nothing to hide about anything. It would be good if we had a democratic country where we could discuss all subjects. There are subjects that are forbidden to talk about in Brazil and one of them is about the vaccine,” he added.

In a statement, the federal police said that they were serving 16 search warrants and six preventive arrest warrants in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro as part of the operation but did not disclose the names of those targeted.

However, two people familiar with developments told Reuters that the police arrested Mauro Cid and Max Guilherme, personal assistants to Bolsonaro as the president who stayed on as his aides when he stepped down.

(With inputs from agencies)

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