BLOOMBERG – Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has narrowed the campaign gap with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as the economic outlook improves and the government increases spending on the poor.
Lula would win with 43% of the preferences in the first round of voting in October, compared to the previous 48% of the poll conducted in December. according to a DataFolha survey released Thursday. Bolsonaro would get 26%, up from 22% previously.
Lula, a 76-year-old left-wing leader, has been the big favorite in opinion polls since Brazil’s top court last year found corruption charges preventing him from running in the 2018 election. The army captain has surged in recent weeks as the Voters are less concerned about the government’s response to Covid-19 and are turning their attention to the economy.
Bolsonaro’s program of cash deliveries to vulnerable Brazilians has been a relief to consumers battered by rising costs of living. But state-owned company Petróleo Brasileiro SA’s decision to hike fuel prices by as much as 25% earlier this month could affect Bolsonaro’s approval ratings for the coming months.
DataFolha, one of the most-watched pollsters in the Latin American nation, asked respondents who they would vote for from a list of presidential candidates. In a virtual tie, former judge Sergio Moro received 8% of voting intentions in the first round, while former governor Ciro Gomes received 6%.
When respondents were asked to spontaneously name who they would vote for in October, Lula received 30% and Bolsonaro 23% of the answers. A candidate needs more than 50% of the votes to win in a single round.
Bolsonaro improved his position in a possible second round but would still lose with 21% of the vote, according to the poll, compared to 55% for Lula.
DataFolha surveyed 2,556 people in face-to-face interviews in 181 cities across the country between March 22 and 23. The survey has an error rate of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
With the support of Isadora Calumby.