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SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Brazilian leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated President Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff election, but the far right incumbent did not concede defeat on Sunday night, raising concerns that he might contest the result. The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) declared Lula the next president, with 50.9% of votes against 49.1% for Bolsonaro. It was a stunning comeback for the leftist former president and a punishing blow to Bolsonaro, the first Brazilian incumbent to lose a presidential election. [1/6] Brazil's former President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reacts at an election night gathering on the day of the Brazilian presidential election run-off, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 30, 2022. "A former union leader born into poverty, Lula organized strikes against Brazil's military government in the 1970s.

☆ Brazil leftist Lula wins third presidential term to redeem tarnished legacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

His policies lifted millions from extreme poverty, expanded access to education and healthcare, and reduced Brazil's deep social inequalities during years of robust growth driven by a global commodities boom. GLOBAL PRESTIGEHis presidency also reinvigorated Brazil's oil and ship-building industries, while its economy rose to sixth-largest in the world. Brazil's global prestige hit new levels as it was chosen to host the Olympics and soccer World Cup. However, Lula's legacy was tarnished amid revelations of a vast kickback scheme on public contracts, benefiting leaders from major political parties, including his own. A heavy smoker for years, Lula was treated with chemotherapy for throat cancer in 2011, deepening his gruff baritone.

☆ Brazil votes in heated Bolsonaro vs. Lula presidential runoff
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Bolsonaro has vowed to consolidate a sharp conservative turn in Brazilian politics after a presidency marred by the pandemic. Lula promises more social and environmental responsibility, recalling the rising prosperity of his 2003-2010 presidency, before corruption scandals tarred his Workers Party. Several polls showed the race between them tightening in the final week, with Bolsonaro eroding a slight lead for Lula. Bolsonaro outperformed opinion polls in the first round of voting on Oct. 2 among a field of 11 candidates. POST-ELECTION CONCERNSBrazil's electoral authorities are preparing for a narrow result, which Bolsonaro may contest if he loses.

☆ Polls close in Brazil’s polarizing Bolsonaro-Lula contest
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The runoff shaped up as a close contest between President Jair Bolsonaro and his political nemesis, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There were multiple reports of what critics said appeared attempts to suppress the turnout of likely da Silva voters. Most opinion polls gave a lead to da Silva, universally known as Lula, though political analysts agreed the race grew increasingly tight in recent weeks. But while da Silva topped the Oct. 2 first-round elections with 48% of the vote, Bolsonaro was a strong second at 43%, showing opinion polls significantly underestimated his popularity. "If da Silva wins, we're going to have a problem," said Pedro Correia, 40, who joined his wife and two children in Copacabana.

☆ Brazil's presidential election may determine the fate of the Amazon rainforest — and the entire planet's climate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

An aerial photo shows virgin Amazon jungle in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, on May 18, 2005. An aerial view of logs cut from Amazon rainforest near of the road BR-319 highway in city of Realidade, Amazonas state, Brazil, on August 22, 2019. Ueslei Marcelino/ReutersBolsonaro promises to increase deforestation in the Amazon, while Lula promises to slow it. But it's also the most consequential election on the planet," Christian Poirier, program director at the advocacy group Amazon Watch, told Insider. A miner works in an illegal gold mine at an environmental preservation area in the Amazon rainforest, in Itaituba, Para state, Brazil on September 3, 2021.

☆ Bolsonaro-Lula presidential race down to the wire in Brazil, polls show
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A survey by pollster MDA showed Lula's edge slipping to just 2 percentage points, equal to the margin of error for the poll commissioned by transport sector lobby CNT. But Bolsonaro outperformed opinion polls in the first-round vote on Oct. 2, and many analysts say the election could go either way. The final opinion surveys by pollsters IPEC and AtlasIntel, however, showed Lula holding a stable and slightly larger lead. AtlasIntel, among the most accurate pollsters in the first round, showed Lula's lead holding at 7 percentage points. Lula vowed to revive those boom times, while Bolsonaro suggested current social programs are more effective.

Financial markets have largely priced in a Lula victory, but the uncertainty about a contested result has some on edge. "There is apprehension about whether the election result will be respected," said J.P. Morgan equity strategist Emy Shayo. The TSE rejected the complaint in a Wednesday ruling due to lack of evidence and asked Brazil's top prosecutor to investigate the Bolsonaro campaign for possible intent to disrupt the election. Another son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, told journalists that to address the issue properly might require postponing the election. Senior Bolsonaro campaign officials have said publicly that a postponement of the election is not up for discussion.

☆ Brazil's top court set to rule in favor of Amazon Fund revival
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Brazil's Supreme Court is set to demand that the government reactivate a billion-dollar international fund aimed at protecting the Amazon rainforest as the nation faces rampant deforestation, according to a court statement on Thursday. A majority of the top court's justices decided that the government must take steps within 60 days to reactivate the Amazon Fund, frozen in 2019 when the President Jair Bolsonaro's administration decided to change its governance structure. Norway paid $1.2 billion into the fund between 2008 and 2018, resources that were intended to finance sustainability projects and help reduce deforestation in the world's largest rainforest. The fund was frozen after Bolsonaro took office in 2019 and weakened environmental protection measures in the Amazon, arguing that commercial farming and mining were needed in the region to reduce poverty. Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil central govt posts better-than-expected primary surplus in September
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Brazil's central government posted a better-than-expected primary budget surplus in September, Treasury data showed on Thursday, boosted by dividends from the state-owned oil company Petrobras (PETR4.SA) and higher tax revenues. The primary surplus reached 10.954 billion reais ($2.1 billion) in September, above the 9.95 billion reais surplus forecast by economists polled by Reuters. The result also came better than the 590 million reais surplus recorded in the same month in 2021. On the revenue side, the Treasury received 12.6 billion reais in dividends from Petrobras, said the government, also benefitting from increased tax revenue over income. In the 12 months to September, the central government recorded a primary surplus of 84.9 billion reais, equal to 1.01% of gross domestic product.

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro to appeal to top court ahead of Sunday's election runoff
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

This further raised concerns about disruptions before or after Sunday's vote pitting Bolsonaro against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In its ruling on Wednesday, the TSE asked Brazil's top public prosecutor to investigate the possible intention of the Bolsonaro camp to disrupt the election in its final days. Now he has claimed fraud involving campaign radio spots, adding to expectations that he will contest the result if he loses to Lula. Neither the Defense Ministry nor the Army replied to a request for confirmation that the military commanders met with Bolsonaro on Wednesday night. O Globo newspaper reported two weeks ago that Bolsonaro had ordered the military not to publish that finding.

☆ Brazil's public debt drops for third straight month in September
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Brazil's federal public debt fell for the third consecutive month in September, official data showed on Wednesday, with the net redemption of bonds again reducing the government's liquidity reserve. According to the Treasury, bond redemptions exceeded issuances by 76.4 billion reais ($14.29 billion). At the same time, interest payments on public debt reached 47.2 billion reais. As a result, the stock of federal public debt fell by 29.4 billion reais over August to 5.752 trillion reais. Given the recent inflationary relief in Brazil, the yield on inflation-linked bonds decreased, leading the average interest rate on the issuance of domestic federal debt to fall to 11.7% in September from 11.9% in August.

☆ Brazil central bank holds interest rates, eyes moderating growth
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank on Wednesday held interest rates at a nearly six-year high for the second policy meeting in a row, noting that economic growth seems to be slowing but inflation remains high. In their statement of Wednesday's rate decision, Copom said indicators since their September meeting suggested "more moderate" economic growth in Brazil, but consumer inflation remains "high." In one of the few changes to the statement, the central bank indicated that 2023 and 2024 are now equally weighted on its policy horizon. Policymakers held their inflation outlook for this year unchanged at 5.8%, but raised their forecast for next year to 4.8%, from 4.6% last month, compared to a 3.25% target. After a law established the formal autonomy of the central bank last year, central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto is set to serve out his term through 2024, regardless of the election's result.

☆ Bolsonaro’s cash injection gains traction with poor Brazilians ahead of vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The new measures will cost some 273 billion reais ($52 billion) this year and next, according to an analysis of government figures by Reuters, adding to fiscal challenges for whoever wins the election. Congressional approval is pending for 146 billion reais worth of that spending. Federal prosecutors responsible for enforcing electoral law have not taken up calls to investigate the allegations of the president’s abuse of his budgetary authority. Lula led Bolsonaro in the first-round vote by 5 percentage points overall, an advantage that opinion polls showed was bolstered by lower-income Brazilians. Auxilio Brasil is not the only program that government critics and legal experts have flagged on suspicion of skirting electoral law.

How Brazil’s Leader Built the Myth of Rigged Elections By Jack Nicas, Flávia Milhorance and Ana Ionova Produced by Gray Beltran Leer en españolFor years, President Jair Bolsonaro has attacked Brazil’s election systems. Yet in speeches, interviews and hundreds of posts on social media, the president has consistently and methodically repeated those baseless claims and many others about Brazil’s voting system. At the time, he suggested that the election’s results could not be trusted because of the voting machines. He showed a video from a programmer who claimed to demonstrate how voting machines were hacked in 2018. (Experts and fact-checkers said the video was riddled with errors, including a fundamental misunderstanding of how the voting system works.)

☆ Brazil's Treasury to receive $8.5 billion from development bank BNDES this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Brazil's Treasury will receive 45 billion reais ($8.5 billion)from loans it has granted to development bank BNDES in the past, the Economy Ministry said on Tuesday, an action that will help reduce the country's gross debt. The amount still owed by BNDES totals 69.1 billion reais, and the bank will pay the Treasury 45 billion reais by November 30th, the ministry said in a statement. The remaining 24.1 billion reais will be paid off by November 30, 2023, it added. Between 2008 and 2015, under the administrations of the leftist Workers Party (PT), the Brazilian Treasury transferred more than 500 billion reais to the development bank, weakening public finances and squeezing commercial lenders out of capital markets. According to the latest data from the central bank, Brazilian gross debt stands at 77.5% of GDP.

The new measures will cost some 273 billion reais ($52 billion) this year and next, according to an analysis of government figures by Reuters, adding to fiscal challenges for whoever wins the election. Congressional approval is pending for 146 billion reais worth of that spending. Federal prosecutors responsible for enforcing electoral law have not taken up calls to investigate the allegations of the president's abuse of his budgetary authority. Lula led Bolsonaro in the first-round vote by 5 percentage points overall, an advantage that opinion polls showed was bolstered by lower-income Brazilians. Auxilio Brasil is not the only program that government critics and legal experts have flagged on suspicion of skirting electoral law.

☆ Brazil's Guedes says govt may raise minimum wage above inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRASILIA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes on Tuesday said the government of President Jair Bolsonaro could, if re-elected, raise the minimum wage above inflation now that the pandemic is over. Speaking virtually at an event on cooperativism, the minister also denied that the government wants to end the possibility of deducting medical and health expenses from income tax. Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bolsonaro versus Lula: Ahead of Brazil's high-stakes elections, here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

His adversary, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has sought to kindle nostalgia for his years presiding over an economic boom and social inclusion. Here’s what you need to know about the Brazilian presidential runoff, which is on Oct. 30. That is why da Silva, who was president from 2003 to 2010, can run this year. Most polls 2 1/2 weeks after the first round show da Silva retaining a slight lead over Bolsonaro. Da Silva, known universally as Lula, has focused on his prior terms, during which commodities exports surged and tens of millions of Brazilians joined the middle class.

☆ Fiscal discipline 'non-negotiable' if Lula wins Brazil election -running mate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Fiscal responsibility will not be negotiable if leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wins next Sunday's presidential runoff vote, Lula's running mate Geraldo Alckmin said on Monday. Former Sao Paulo governor Alckmin did not elaborate on the new fiscal anchor. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"The first point is fiscal responsibility, which is non-negotiable," he wrote on Twitter. Priorities would include an increase in competitiveness, a reduction in production costs and the recovery of national industry, employment, and income, he said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Marcela Ayres; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Lula widens lead slightly over Bolsonaro for Sunday vote -poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Leftist presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has increased his lead slightly over his far-right adversary President Jair Bolsonaro six days ahead of their runoff in Brazil's divisive election, a Monday poll said. Lula leads by 52.0% of the votes against 46.2% for Bolsonaro, according to the AtlasIntel poll, inching forward from 51.1% to Bolsonaro's 46.5% in the previous poll two weeks ago. The poll was completed before a shooting incident on Sunday involving Bolsonaro supporter and former Congressman Roberto Jefferson, which had the president's campaign worried about a negative impact on opinion polls, a senior aide said. "The poll is good news for Lula," said AtlasIntel chief executive Andrei Roman. Although the survey did not reflect the impact of Sunday's incident where the Bolsonaro supporter shot and wounded policemen as he resisted arrest, Roman said the president's recovery since the first-round vote on Oct. 2 has stalled.

☆ Brazil electoral court cracks down on online disinformation ahead of Lula-Bolsonaro runoff
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA — Brazil’s national electoral authority is announcing moves to crack down harder on online disinformation in a fierce presidential campaign between far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and leftist challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) said the measures are intended to curb the “distribution and sharing of knowingly untrue or gravely decontextualized information affecting the electoral process,” according to the resolution. The tougher stance, defined by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who currently runs the TSE, reflects a more aggressive approach to a tidal wave of dirty campaigning that has engulfed Brazil ahead of the Oct. 30 runoff. Brazilian broadcasters have also said they have been prohibited from using the words “ex-convict,” “thief” or “corrupt” when speaking about Lula. Moraes said the platforms had helped keep disinformation within reasonable bounds ahead of the election’s first-round vote on Oct. 2.

☆ Mayor of Brazil meatpacking hub probed amid wave of electoral coercion cases
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Ana Mano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The sources said that Santa Catarina state labor prosecutors are running the investigation into Mayor Joao Rodrigues of Chapeco, a hotbed for Brazil's meatpacking industry. It will not if Bolsonaro remains president," Rodrigues said in a video seen by Reuters, addressing the local business community before stating his name and title. Brazil has seen a wave of complaints about Brazilian companies putting illegal political pressure on employees, amid the final stretch of a highly polarized presidential campaign. Electoral law prohibits Brazilians from promising benefits or making threats to steer votes toward or away from a particular candidate. In the final moments of the 55-second video, Rodrigues tells business leaders "to get to work."

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) said the measures are intended to curb the "distribution and sharing of knowingly untrue or gravely decontextualized information affecting the electoral process," according to the resolution. The tougher stance, defined by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who currently runs the TSE, reflects a more aggressive approach to a tidal wave of dirty campaigning that has engulfed Brazil ahead of the Oct. 30 runoff. The TSE has already ordered some disinformation videos to be taken down, including ones that say Lula consorts with Satan and Bolsonaro embraces cannibalism. The campaigns have also been ordered by the court to pull online ads saying the leftist will legalize abortion and the incumbent entertains pedophilia. Moraes said the platforms had helped keep disinformation within reasonable bounds ahead of the election's first-round vote on Oct. 2.

☆ Brazil's Lula and Bolsonaro statistically tied in presidential race -poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Supporters of Brazil's President and candidate for re-election Jair Bolsonaro and supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva campaign together on a street during an election campaign in Brasilia, Brazil October 13, 2022. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File PhotoSAO PAULO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Brazil's presidential race has narrowed to a 4-percentage-point gap between leftist front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, and they are now statistically tied, according to a poll published on Wednesday. Datafolha said Lula now has 49% of voter support against 45% for Bolsonaro less than two weeks from the second-round runoff on Oct. 30, compared to 49% and 44% respectively in the previous poll five days ago. The poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points up or down, meaning both could mathematically be tied at 47%. It was the first Datafolha survey since the presidential debate on Sunday, where Bolsonaro attacked corruption scandals under Lula's Workers Party, which governed from 2003 to 2016.

☆ Brazil's Lula vows to Evangelical voters he would respect religious freedom
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Leftist presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva assured Brazil's Evangelical Christians that he would not restrict religious freedoms if he is elected on Oct. 2, and praised the dedication to their beliefs. His adversary Bolsonaro has strong backing from Brazil's fast-growing Evangelical churches due to his conservative agenda based on pro-life and family values, and rejection of gay marriage and the legalization of drugs. With one in four Brazilians believed to be Evangelical today in this predominantly Catholic country, a recent poll by PoderData said 62% of evangelical voters are for Bolsonaro, and only 38% back Lula, who has the support of 51% of Catholics. Lula, who governed Brazil from 2003-2010, said he always maintained absolute respect for religious freedom during his eight years as president, passing laws and decrees protecting religious diversity. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Anthony Boadle; editing by Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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