Good morning! Today, how Jair Bolsonaro is trying to keep the Evangelical vote. Lula’s moves on the electoral chessboard. The impact of new tax cuts. And how Brazilians see Russia.
Culture wars and corruption to fuel push for religious vote
“I’ll point the nation in the direction you want,” President Jair Bolsonaro told Evangelical leaders during a meeting at the presidential palace. The event was part of the president’s attempt to regain ground within a demographic that was key for his 2018 win.
Why it matters. Evangelical Christians are the fastest-growing religious group in Brazil, and some estimate they might account for one-third of Brazilians already (although the exact proportion will be confirmed by this year’s census).
- According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, 84 percent of Brazilians believe faith in God is necessary in order to have moral values, meaning that religion plays a key role in how Brazilians make political decisions.
Roadmap. Mr. Bolsonaro will double down on strategies he has used in the past, promising to push for projects dear to conservatives in Congress — such as loosening gun regulations further, ending prison furloughs, lowering the age of criminal responsibility, and regulating homeschooling in Brazil.
- During...