COVID-19 CPI

[7] The objective of the request presented by Randolfe Rodrigues is to discuss the actions of the federal government in confronting the pandemic, in a scenario in which Brazil ranks second in the world in number of deaths from COVID-19.[8][9] According to the portal UOL, the Bolsonaro government has not set aside money in 2021 for the Ministry of Health and until March, had not passed on resources to states and municipalities to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] In another report released earlier, the TCU accused the Bolsonaro government of altering documents to evade responsibility for leading the actions to combat and confront the pandemic, as well as failing to monitor the supply of drugs and intubation kits to hospitals.[16][17][18][19] In statements to the CPI, General Eduardo Pazuello confirmed having been contacted superficially by Osmar Terra about the thesis that the health crisis would naturally cease after this percentage of people were infected.One of the reasons is that the episode directly involves President Jair Bolsonaro to a possible crime of prevarication which is an infraction provided for in article 319 of the Brazilian Penal Code.[26] In the decision, the minister fomented the thesis, arguing that it would be the responsibility of the president of the Board of the Legislative House to define the agenda and priorities, but that such prerogative could not hurt the constitutional right of the third of the parliamentarians in favor of the creation of the CPI.[26] The president of the Senate accepted the request, but criticized what he called Barroso's decision as "political platform for 2022," stating that the CPI could have a role in anticipating the political-electoral discussion of 2022, which would not be appropriate for the moment the nation is going through.[35] The minister also denied the habeas corpus order, filed by the defense of Mayra Pinheiro, requesting the possibility of remaining silent and safe conduct to eventual arrest."[66][67][68] On April 19, 2021, federal deputy Carla Zambelli appealed to the Supreme Court to prevent cases of politicians with evidence of suspicion or impediment from being members of the CPI.In the list were accusations of early treatment, negligence of the government in buying vaccines, militarization of the Ministry of Health, minimization of the pandemic in Brazil, lack of adoption and restrictive measures to reduce the virus contagion.[43] Queiroga denied presidential pressure on technical issues, acknowledged the importance of vaccination and social distancing over "alternative treatments," and said he was unaware of "evidence of chemical warfare in China.[80] On April 13, 2021, the Federal Attorney General's Office sent a letter to the STF so that the former minister can remain silent during testimony at the CPI and also ensure that he is immune from certain measures, such as imprisonment in case of non-compliance.[44] Barra Torres denied government pressure for the approval of chloroquine to combat COVID-19, but confirmed the existence of a proposal to change the drug's package insert at a meeting of ministers.[85] Present at this meeting was physician Nise Yamaguchi, pointed out by Barra Torres as one of the heads of the supposed "Parallel Ministry of Health," a group independent of the administration of Minister Mandetta.Calheiros referred to a campaign with the title: O Brasil não pode parar ("Brazil can't stop"), broadcast in 2020 on the Federal Government's official website.But the president of the CPI accused him of lying in the interrogation and asked that the country not punish Brazil with the delay in deliveries of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for vaccines.[47] Araújo also reported in the CPI that the country's entry in the Covax Facility cost the Union R$2.5 billion (US$ 630,000,000) and that it was up to the Ministry of Health to adhere to the "minimum quantity of doses" in the consortium.[99] The Federal Audit Court (TCU) refuted Pazuello's answers about Pfizer and informed in a note to the CPI that no such opinion was sent and that the purchase of the doses was urgent due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19.[123] On June 2, 2021, Luana Araújo testified as an invited guest, in the position of infectious disease physician, indicated to assume the portfolio of the Ministry of Health's secretary of confrontation with COVID, but her nomination was not approved.[127] Colonel Élcio denied knowledge of the so-called "shadow cabinet", but claimed to know and have met with some members such as Nise Yamaguchi, Arthur Weintraub, Osmar Terra, and Carlos Wizard.As for the thesis of letting the virus spread freely through the population, Élcio said that the idea of herd immunity had never been discussed in the technical area, and that the severity of the pandemic was known, and there should be annual vaccination campaigns.In response to Senator Renan Calheiros about treatments, the sanitary doctor recalled the approval of the law for the use of phosphoethanolamine to fight cancer by the then federal deputy Jair Bolsonaro in 2016.[137] Senator Eduardo Braga showed correspondence from White Martins dated the beginning of September 2020 about the company is already operating at full capacity and that it would be necessary to hire additional sources of oxygen supply; the crisis will only occur after five months.The secretary admitted that the planning considered that the worst-case scenario was a repeat of the crisis of the first wave and that "only at the end of December that we started to notice that there was something different in the contamination", not knowing possible variants of the virus."[140] He affirmed that he was one of the first governors to implement social isolation measures and criticized the delay in the coming of the emergency aid and concluded: "If you ask the population to stay at home, but don't give them conditions, it is more difficult to control the pandemic".Senators Randolfe Rodrigues, Eliziane Gama, Humberto Costa, Rogerio Carvalho, and Otto Alencar held up mourning signs written "500 thousand lives", "responsibility", and "vaccine".Eliziane Gama contrasted the posture of the businessman, e.g. buying vaccines for the private initiative, with the trajectory of Christ; "Jesus was on the side of the poor, orphans, widows, and the excluded," said the senator.Senator Alessandro Vieira questioned what other reasons made her resign from her position, Francieli reported that the pressure from several municipalities to change the order of the priority groups "brought a difficulty to the campaign".[178] On July 13, 2021, the representative of Precisa Medicamentos Emanuela Medrades appeared before the COVID-19 CPI, but she remained silent throughout the session, claiming that she herself had already made statements to the Federal Police.He also reported the meeting of the Ministry of Health intermediated by Reverend Amilton Gomes de Paula (owner of the Secretariat of Humanitarian Affairs) and Colonel Hélcio Bruno (of the Força Brasil Institute) The companies listed are private and these people do not hold public positions.