Bolsonaro Aid To Poor Closing Gap To Lula

A new raft of policies designed to win the vote of rural and poor Brazilians is appearing to close the gap between incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and frontrunner, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

• According to Bloomberg 'the outcome [of the election] may yet hinge on government subsidies in a nation riven by inequality.'
• Creomar de Souza, CEO of Dharma has said that the election will be determined in the poor northeast of the country. 'It’s where Lula and Bolsonaro will measure their strength.'
• In mid-March Bolsonaro announced a 165 billion reais package of social spending aimed at the poor and middle class. He also carved out staple food items from import taxes as a strategy to win the vote of poor Brazilians.
• Polls suggest that the new focus on aid for the poor is working:
  • Lula had 45% backing in a Genial Investimentos/Quaest poll released April 7, up from 44% in March, while Bolsonaro’s support rose to 31% from 26%.