Brazilian Police Charge Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro: Sources
Time
Brazil: Police Recommend Criminal Charges Against Bolsonaro
Image copyright: Buda Mendes/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Brazil's Federal Police have recommended that former Pres. Jair Bolsonaro be criminally charged with money laundering and criminal association over allegedly undeclared gifts he received from Saudi Arabia while in office.
Bolsonaro and others — including his former aide Mauro Cid, and lawyers Fabio Wajngarten and Frederick Wassef — will effectively be indicted only if both the Attorney General's office and the Supreme Court decide to do so.
The Spin
Left narrative
This is great news. Brazilian police wouldn't have pursued this case so far if there wasn't plenty of evidence of wrongdoing. There's a strong chance that Bolsonaro will be held accountable as long as Brazilian authorities continue to pursue justice.
Right narrative
It's obvious Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Lula, a corrupt leftist career politician, is using the judicial system to punish his predecessor. Right-leaning figures across the nation are being censored, and the legal system is increasingly being used as a weapon against opponents.