Rio de Janeiro: Protesters took to the streets in Brazil on Saturday (July 3) demanding the impeachment of President Jair Bolsonaro and more vaccines to fight the coronavirus pandemic, as the country faces the world`s second-deadliest outbreak after the United States. On Friday (July 2), Supreme Court Justice Rosa Weber authorized the opening of an investigation into Bolsonaro over alleged irregularities in the procurement of vaccines developed in India.

The protests were originally scheduled for July 24, but were brought forward after evidence of irregularities related to that vaccine deal were presented before a Senate committee investigating the federal government`s handling of the pandemic. Brazil`s COVID-19 crisis has been compounded by a slow vaccine rollout.

“It was not denialism, it was corruption,” said a banner held by 71-year-old Marilda Barroso in Rio de Janeiro. By 2 p.m. local time, protests had drawn thousands of people in at least 13 state capitals, according to local media reports. Demonstrations were scheduled to take place in 315 Brazilian cities and in 15 countries, local media reported citing the organizers of the acts.

More protests were scheduled to take place in the afternoon, including in Brazil`s biggest city of São Paulo.

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New Delhi: Congressman Luis Miranda and his brother Luis Ricardo Miranda, who raised suspicions about Brazil’s vaccine deal with India’s Bharat Biotech, arrived at a Senate commission inquiry on Friday wearing a bullet-proof vest for safety.

They are key witnesses in the hearing over alleged wrongdoing in a vaccine contract signed by Brazil’s government to procure Covaxin doses in a deal costing1.6 billion reais (USD 323 million).

The parliamentary inquiry is looking into the allegations that the Brazilian government deliberately delayed securing Covid vaccines besides the probe on its handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than half a million people in the country.

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The coordinator of the Senate inquiry called for giving protection to Congressman Luis Miranda and his brother, along with the owners of Precisa Medicamentos company, the Brazillian intermediary for Bharat Biotech.

 The government is accused of ignoring vaccine offers from Pfizer Inc that was reportedly quoting a lower price and then struck a speedy agreement with Bharat Biotech, the probe has been launched by federal prosecutors and lawmakers to ascertain the reason behind this.

Congressman Luis Ricardo Miranda and his brother have stated that they met president Bolsonaro in March and warned him of the suspicious contract, but nothing was done to investigate the deal.

Reuters reports that Miranda, who is the head of imports at the ministry, told senators that he refused to approve an import license because an invoice for a first shipment asked for an up-front payment and was sent by a company not mentioned in the contract, Singapore-based Madison Biotech.

The report adds that Miranda told prosecutors he was pressured by Alex Lial Marinho, an aide to one of Bolsonaro’s closest allies, former Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello.

Miranda’s brother supported the account.

The controversy has put mounting pressure on President Jair Bolsonaro to explain the deal with Bharat Biotech.

Responding to the controversy, the far-right president maintained that there were no irregularities in the contract. “There is nothing wrong with the Covaxin contract, there is no overpricing,” Reuters reported him as saying at a news conference on Friday.

He alleged that his enemies were trying to stain his government with unfounded accusations of corruption. “I am incorruptible,” he declared.

The controversy over the Covaxin contract threatens to damage his image of having zero tolerance for corruption in his government.

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech also issued a statement in that regard: “We strongly refute and deny any kind of allegation or implication of any wrongdoing whatsoever with respect to the supply of COVAXIN.” It stated that Madison Biotech is its global sales and marketing unit.

The Indian manufacturer further contended that its vaccine pricing had been consistently USD15-$20 per dose for foreign governments, a range in which the Brazil contract fell. 

Brasilia: Brazilians staged protests against President Jair Bolsonaro`s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in at least 16 cities across the country on Saturday, carrying signs such as “Out with Bolsonaro” and “Impeachment now.”

Bolsonaro`s popularity has plummeted during the coronavirus crisis, which has killed more than 460,000 Brazilians as the far-right leader played down its severity, dismissed mask-wearing and cast doubt on the importance of vaccines.

Organized by leftist political parties, unions and student associations, Saturday`s (May 29) protests in the capital Brasilia and in Rio de Janeiro were peaceful, but in the northeastern city of Recife, the police threw tear gas and shot rubber bullets.

In Sao Paulo, Brazil`s largest city, thousands of mask-wearing people blocked one of the largest city`s avenues. One large balloon depicted Bolsonaro as a vampire.

Some protests, like the one in Rio, included images of former leftist President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva wearing the presidential sash.

Earlier in May, Lula met centrist Fernando Henrique Cardoso, also a two-term former president, for lunch in a public show of their common purpose to block Bolsonaro from gaining a second term in next year`s presidential election.

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