Today, we explain how the end of the coronavirus emergency aid program could erode Jair Bolsonaro’s approval ratings. Brazil tops 200,000 Covid-19 deaths. And the anatomy of a bungled vaccine strategy.
Bolsonaro’s approval dips in first post-aid poll
As the government-sponsored coronavirus emergency salary program expired at the end of 2020, analysts believed that President Jair Bolsonaro’s approval ratings would go down with it. Indeed, a new opinion poll by PoderData — the first since the end of the aid initiative — corroborates that prediction. In January, the administration’s rejection rates jumped from 47 to 52 percent, outside the margin of error.
- Emergency aid payments were first pegged at BRL 600 (USD 112) but halved in September and expired completely at the turn of the year.
- The benefit reached over 67 million people and poured a reported BRL 1 trillion (nearly USD 200 billion) into the economy.
Why it matters. Economists have warned that the absence of a replacement program could cast up to 30 percent of Brazilians below the poverty line. Economic crises combined with low approval are a dangerous mix for Brazilian presidents.
Approval ratings moving forward. The share of Brazilians saying their lives improved since Mr. Bolsonaro...