In early April, Weintraub on Twitter hinted at Beijing being a likely benefactor of the global COVID-19 epidemic, while also making fun of the way the Chinese speak foreign languages. As a result, Chinese Ambassador Yang Wanming has demanded an explanation from President Jair Bolsonaro's government.
On 14 April, the country's Attorney General's Office requested that the supreme court open an investigation into Weintraub, which was granted on Tuesday evening, according to the news outlet.
This is not the first time a Brazilian public person has run afoul of China. In March, Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, blamed Beijing for the COVID-19 outbreak, straining the relations between the two countries.