Zema Opposes Mandatory Vaccination, Vows Amnesty for Jan. 8 Rioters, Denies Coup Attempt

Presidential candidate Romeu Zema has declared his opposition to mandatory vaccination, stating that forcing vaccination on individuals is incompatible with a democratic country. Speaking during an interview on TV Globo's Jornal Nacional, Zema, who confirmed he received all COVID-19 doses, argued that families should not face persecution for vaccination decisions. While no law mandates vaccination in Brazil, refusal can lead to administrative measures, such as employers barring unvaccinated employees during the pandemic.

Zema also reiterated his promise to grant amnesty to those convicted for the January 8th attacks, which he explicitly denied constituted a coup attempt. "There is no coup attempt in the history of humanity that has been a vandalism movement like the one that happened in January 2023," he stated. He further asserted that those convicted faced "persecution" and called for a judicial, rather than political, tribunal. This stance aligns with his campaign strategy, which has targeted Supreme Court ministers, whom he refers to as an "untouchable caste" operating above the law for personal gain. His campaign has used AI-generated images depicting ministers in prison attire.

During the interview, Zema outlined his public security proposals, including the construction of "superprisons" in the northern region of Brazil to house leaders of criminal factions. He also addressed his decision to increase his own salary and those of his vice governor and secretaries by 300% during his tenure as governor of Minas Gerais. Zema defended the increase, arguing it was necessary to attract qualified individuals, and claimed he personally donated his entire salary to charity during his term.

The interview followed Zema's absence from a presidential debate organized by Band, alongside other major candidates like Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro. Zema's campaign attributed his no-show to preparations for the Jornal Nacional interview. A recent Datafolha poll places Zema at 3% of voter intentions, in a technical tie for third place.