Lula Widens Lead Over Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazilian Presidential Race, Poll Shows
A new Genial/Quaest poll shows Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leading Senator Flávio Bolsonaro 44% to 38% in a hypothetical second-round runoff, widening from a near-tie in May. The shift follows an Intercept Brasil report alleging Flávio negotiated a $24 million investment from disgraced former Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro to finance a film about his father, ex-President Jair Bolsonaro — allegations Flávio denies. Brazil's presidential election is scheduled for October, with a potential runoff if no candidate clears 50% of valid votes.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has recovered ground against his leading opposition challenger, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, according to a Genial/Quaest poll released Wednesday. In a second-round scenario, Lula leads 44% to 38%, compared to a near-deadlock of 42% to 41% in May. The turnaround follows an Intercept Brasil investigation alleging Flávio negotiated a $24 million investment from former Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro — a figure described as disgraced — to fund a film inspired by the life of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Flávio has denied any wrongdoing. In a first-round simulation, Lula leads with 39%, followed by Flávio at 29%, with other candidates in low single digits. Bloomberg also noted that increased U.S. pressure on Brazil ahead of the October election is adding to the political backdrop. The Quaest survey polled 2,004 people between June 5–8, with a margin of error of two percentage points.
What's missing
Neither source clarifies the specific nature of the U.S. pressure on Brazil referenced by Bloomberg.
How coverage differed
The Straits Times focused primarily on the corruption allegation involving Flávio Bolsonaro and the Banco Master banker as the driver of Lula's improved polling. Bloomberg's Portuguese-language report additionally cited growing U.S. pressure on Brazil as a contributing factor to the political climate, a dimension absent from the Straits Times coverage.
What different sources said
- BloombergCenter
Lula abre vantagem de 6 pontos sobre Flávio, diz Quaest
- The Straits TimesCenter
Brazil's Lula widens lead over Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of presidential vote, poll shows
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