Good morning! This week, we’re talking about how Lula moves behind the scenes for support. The “atacarejo” phenomenon gains steam. Jair Bolsonaro’s legal shield. And what will happen to interest rates.
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Lula seeks two new allies
In his effort to create a “broad front” against President Jair Bolsonaro, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — the election’s head-and-shoulders frontrunner — has advanced negotiations with two presidential hopefuls: Congressmen Luciano Bivar of Pernambuco and André Janones of Minas Gerais.
By the numbers. Messrs. Bivar and Janones combine for just 2 percent of voting intentions, but Lula isn’t interested in how they are polling.
- Mr. Bivar is chair of União Brasil, a right-wing party with the both access to the largest share of campaign financing (BRL 776 million, or USD 150 million) and the most airtime for ads on television and radio.
- Mr. Janones, meanwhile, is a social media powerhouse with 8 million followers on Facebook (the leading platform Brazilians use for getting political news). That is more than Lula and...