Brazil’s federal police recommended that former President Jair Bolsonaro be criminally charged in a scheme to falsify his Covid-19 vaccine card, partly to travel to the United States during the pandemic, in the latest sign of criminal investigations closing in on the former president.
Federal prosecutors will now decide whether to pursue the case. If they do, it will be the first time the former president has faced criminal charges.
Brazilian police accused Mr. Bolsonaro of ordering a top aide to obtain falsified Covid-19 vaccination records for himself and his daughter, 13, in late 2022, just before the former president traveled to Florida to stay for three months following his election loss.
Brazilian police said they were awaiting an answer from the U.S. Justice Department on whether Mr. Bolsonaro used a fake vaccination card to enter the United States, which could bring different criminal charges.
At the time, most international visitors to the United States were required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination to enter the country, and a U.S. official said even a foreign leader would have had to comply with such rules.
Mr. Bolsonaro has said he did not receive a Covid-19 vaccine, but he has denied accusations that he was involved in any plan to falsify his vaccination records. His lawyer said in a text message that he was still reviewing the accusations.
