Massive protests in Brazil against the government 2:40
Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) -
Corruption investigations, a spreading covid-19 crisis, plummeting popularity and persistent bouts of hiccups.
It seems that the scandal-laden president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, cannot take a breath.
The president said he now feels "100% fine" after his recent health problem, which he claims to be a consequence of a failed assassination attempt, in 2018, and told TV Brasil: "God willing, I will fulfill this mission. until the last day".
But that final day may come earlier than expected, with a majority of Brazilians for the first time in favor of lawmakers initiating an impeachment process against their controversial leader, according to a recent poll.
While impeachment is far from certain, a Datafolha poll found that 54% of Brazilians support a proposal by lawmakers to open impeachment proceedings against Bolsonaro.
The July poll also found that 51% of Brazilians considered Bolsonaro's presidency "bad" or "appalling."
The Bolsonaro government has been implicated in corruption allegations, resulting in a parliamentary investigation into the government's handling of the pandemic.
Bolsonaro publishes a photo of himself from the hospital 1:17
Meanwhile, the country is battling the devastating impact of its serendipitous response to COVID-19.
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Almost 20 million cases of the virus have been reported in Brazil, according to the Johns Hopkins University database, ranking third in the world, after the United States and India.
The death toll has exceeded 544,000 and there are still more than 1,000 deaths every day.
Only about 16% of the population is vaccinated.
Bolsonaro has been at the center of the storm, having downplayed the severity of the virus from the start.
This week, the president criticized governors for taking restrictive measures to contain the spread.
"Many governors have closed everything. They have destroyed jobs, especially informal ones. We have around 38 million people in Brazil who live from day to day, who work in the morning to eat at night," he said.
"They have lost everything. If there were no emergency aid from the federal government, these people would be doomed to starve."
The so-called "Trump of the tropics" has also targeted the media.
During an interview with the public broadcaster TV Brasil on Tuesday, Bolsonaro criticized the Brazilian press and celebrated the country's handling of the pandemic.
"My conscience is clear," Bolsonaro said.
"Brazil is one of the countries that has behaved the best during the pandemic, period. Congratulations to Brazil. I thank my team of 22 ministers."
In July 2020, Bolsonaro announced that he tested positive for covid-19, after months of downplaying the virus.
He and his government have resisted confinement measures and the use of masks.
Angry citizens, political adversaries and overwhelmed local officials have pressured Bolsonaro to take more federal action, even as he has publicly ignored those concerns.
Child deaths from covid-19 in Brazil continue to rise
Investigations and inquiries for corruption
The Brazilian Senate's investigation into the government's response may hamper Bolsonaro's reelection proposal if it leads to impeachment or criminal charges.
While political analysts consider those outcomes unlikely, Bolsonaro's future may hinge on his ability to keep the peace with the lawmakers responsible for such procedures.
Senate opposition leader Randolfe Rodrigues said what began as an investigation into omissions and misconduct has now turned into a corruption investigation.
Included are allegations that Bolsonaro and his government sabotaged isolation measures, threatened governors and mayors who applied restrictive measures, and refused to wear masks or encourage their use.
Brazilians have taken to the streets in great numbers to demand a better response.
Protests in Sao Paulo against President Jair Bolsonaro: "Impeachment and vaccine now!" Says a banner from the protesters.
The investigation has also uncovered explosive claims by a witness that Bolsonaro was warned that a proposed vaccine deal was stuffed with extra money for corrupt officials.
The Parliamentary Inquiry Committee (CIP) has opened an investigation into the agreement to purchase 20 million doses of the Indian-made Covaxin vaccines for 1,000% more than the initial quoted price.
Brazil suspends COVID-19 vaccine contract with Indian firm amid allegations of irregularities
Congressman Luis Miranda, a former ally of Bolsonaro, and his brother, Luis Ricardo Miranda, an employee of the Health Ministry, said they warned the president of irregularities in the contract, but he did nothing to resolve the matter.
Bolsonaro told Radio Gaucha: "I cannot, when something comes to me, take action. I meet with more than 100 people a month."
Speaking on Sunday as he was being released from the hospital, Bolsonaro complained that the CIP too often accuses him of being corrupt.
"Do you want to expel me from the government?" He said.
"Only God [can] get me out of that chair. Didn't they understand that only God gets me out of that chair? If there is any corruption in the Government, I will be the first to find out and leave it in the hands of justice."
He has accused CIP of ignoring other corruption allegations across Brazil to focus on him and his government.
"They want to accuse me of genocide. Now, tell me, in which country haven't people died? This CIP has no credibility," Bolsonaro said.
The president added that "he regrets about the dead, but people who were healthy had little chance of dying."
Jair Bolsonaro Facts
Risk of impeachment
Political analyst Marco A. Teixeira told CNN that, although unlikely, Bolsonaro may be at risk of impeachment.
The Getulio Vargas University (FGV-SP) professor said that while it is not yet clear where the investigation will lead, the Bolsonaro government is committed.
Teixeira predicted a "difficult scenario" for Bolsonaro in the run-up to the October 2022 presidential elections, and Datafolha polls show him behind likely rival and former president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
"It is a different situation than the last election, because he is already being judged and he has pending explanations to give to society. He lost the opposition position. He can no longer say that 'he will' because he is already in the Government," said Teixeira .
"Now his story is that the Supreme Court and Congress do not allow him to do anything ... He has a narrative for every occasion," added Teixeira.
Lula da Silva has hinted at a presidential race in 2022, after his convictions for corruption and money laundering were overturned in March, effectively restoring his right to run for office.
Lula has lashed out at the administration's efforts to contain the pandemic, saying "there is no control in Brazil."
He described the lockdowns as "necessary," restrictions Bolsonaro has frequently rejected.
Lula da Silva criticizes Bolsonaro for his handling of the pandemic in Brazil
"[Bolsonaro] prefers to wake up at 4 in the morning, tell his lies through his mobile phone, through social networks, and we have been producing false news like we have never seen in the history of Brazil and he is not dealing with that seriously, "said Lula da Silva.
Competing for votes
Bolsonaro, like Trump during his reelection campaign, has been casting doubt on the electronic voting machines used in Brazil, the very system by which he and his sons were elected.
He has been pushing for the country to use only paper ballots, touting unsubstantiated claims that previous elections were rigged by electronic voting.
Teixeira explains that Bolsonaro's recent health problem may work to his advantage in terms of popularity.
He suggests that supporters will rally around the president as they did at the time of his failed assassination attempt in 2018. An injury from that attempt has led to his current medical problems.
Bolsonaro's eldest son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, tweeted about his father's recent hospitalization, "President @jairbolsonaro evolved for the better, he woke up in a good mood and if he continues like this, he will not need surgery! Thank you all for your prayers ! #WhoOrderedTheBolsonaro Murder ".
Teixeira explains that the hashtag used by Bolsonaro's son shows an attempt to mobilize followers online.
"Bolsonaro's health problem creates a smokescreen that gives his family a kind of 'resurgence' of the stabbing he suffered four years ago, showing an instrumentalization of something that had a significant weight in the last elections and that can affect voting intention for next year, "said Teixeira.
Maduro, Ortega, Bolsonaro and Díaz-Canel are among the leaders "predators of the free press," according to Reporters Without Borders
Arriving at the hospital last week, Bolsonaro said that Brazil is "on the road to prosperity" and thanked his followers for their prayers.
"That is what motivates us to move forward and confront whatever is necessary to lift the country out of the clutches of corruption, the reversal of values, organized crime and to guarantee and protect the freedom of our people," Bolsonaro said.
"May God bless us and continue to enlighten our nation. A big hug! Brazil above all, God above all!"
CNN's Rodrigo Pedroso and Juliana Koch reported from Sao Paulo, and Samantha Beech reported and wrote from Atlanta.
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