Brazil’s Chamber president criticizes Senate Covid investigation, rules out impeachment

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Chamber president Arthur Lira (PP-AL) lamented the over 500,000 Covid deaths in Brazil, but defended the government when stating there had been no delay in the purchase of Pfizer vaccines.

He said that even if the purchase had been completed earlier, the government would not have “solved the pandemic problem,” adding that he had also taken part in talks with Pfizer.

The legislator criticized the Covid CPI‘s (investigative committee) work saying it is a mistake at this time, as the pandemic is in progress.

Moreover, he argued that the pandemic alone is not a reason to prompt impeachment proceedings against President Jair Bolsonaro, since a political circumstance is lacking. “Impeachment is based on circumstances, a messy fiscal policy, a truncated economic policy. Impeachment is political.”

Lira further stated that the administrative reform, to be voted later this year, will not affect the lives of current civil servants.

Regarding the 2022 presidential elections, he said not to believe in a third option, which means that the dispute will be polarized between Bolsonaro and ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

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