
AI-generated summary
Ahead of the Brazilian presidential runoff, the approval ratings between incumbent President Lula and right-wing candidate Bolsonaro are locked in a close race within the margin of error. The Lula government is aiming to increase its approval ratings with generous promises, such as advancing the payment schedule for Bouça Familia, a policy to support low-income people, and pushing for a five-day workweek bill.
(Mexico City = Yonhap News) Correspondent Song Kwang-ho = With about a week left before the presidential election runoff, President Luiz Inacio Lula Dasiva, who is seeking a fourth term in office, is closely following right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.
According to the BTG/Nexus presidential candidate support poll released on the 19th (local time), President Lula received 49.7% of the approval rating and is in a close race with Rep. Bolsonaro, who received 50.3%, within the margin of error (±2.0% points). This is the smallest gap among opinion polls conducted after the first round of voting in the presidential election held on the 4th. In the same survey last week, the difference was 3.2% points.
The narrowing gap in approval ratings between the two candidates can also be detected in other surveys. In the Atlas Intel survey released on this day, Lula recorded 48.9% and Bolsonaro recorded 51.1%. Compared to the 6% point gap between the two candidates in the same survey a week ago, the gap narrowed by 3.8 percentage points in just one week.
The political world and the market analyze that the increase in approval ratings was driven by the various generous promises made by Lula, the cash support package, and the Senate passage of the 'five-day work week bill', which aims to reduce working hours.
The Lula government also announced on this day that it would advance the October payment schedule for 'Bolsa Familia', a policy to support low-income people, by about a week from the previous presidential election date (25th) to the 19th. Previously, the government increased the subsidy by 15%.
With the approval ratings between the two candidates narrowing, President Lula and Rep. Bolsonaro faced each other in a TV debate for the first time since the start of the presidential election campaign on the night of the 18th. Reuters analyzed that it showed rough aspects, with corruption suspicions and personal attacks going back and forth rather than policy verification. On the day of the debate, extreme conflict was expressed in major cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with supporters from both sides holding large rallies and denouncing the opposing candidates.
Meanwhile, Brazil's Supreme Electoral Court ordered the global company Meta to prove within 24 hours that Meta is treating President Lula and Senator Bolsonaro equally.
This order is a measure taken in response to the Lula camp's claim that Meta is intentionally suppressing the exposure of President Lula's online content in order to create an environment favorable to candidate Bolsonaro.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The approval rating gap between Lula and Bolsonaro will continue to remain within the margin of error in the Brazilian presidential runoff election.
Likely · Within days
Meta will demonstrate equal treatment of Lula and Bolsonaro in accordance with the order of Brazil's highest electoral court.
Possible · Within days

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