Bolsonaro Isn’t Above the Law, Even in a Pandemic

With coronavirus cases surging and Brazil’s economy on the edge of a depression, President Jair Bolsonaro faces another crisis: allegations that he interfered with criminal investigations of his allies, including his sons. The charges have eroded Bolsonaro’s self-styled image as a corruption fighter. If proved, they could lead to his impeachment.

The prospect of a constitutional showdown is worrisome, and not just for Brazilians. Having removed two of its four previous elected presidents, South America’s biggest country is in danger of spiraling into a cycle of dysfunction that could threaten regional stability. Yet the charges against Bolsonaro, alongside his flirtations with authoritarianism and refusal to acknowledge the scale of Brazil’s public-health emergency, raise questions about his fitness to lead.