Good morning! Jair Bolsonaro’s approval ratings took a dip over the past two months. The São Francisco River Integration Project succumbs to political agendas. After meeting with Trump, Brazil elevates ethanol import quotas. A new documentary about Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment. (This newsletter is for platinum subscribers only. Become one now!)
Controversy pushes Jair Bolsonaro’s approval ratings down
Datafolha, Brazil’s most respected pollster, published its latest opinion poll today on Jair Bolsonaro’s administration—showing that the president’s rejection ratings have jumped from 33 to 38% from July. By far, Mr. Bolsonaro is the least popular among presidents during their first years in office (Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who comes second, was rejected by only 15% of voters). These results confirm a negative trend for the president, already detected in polls by other institutes.
Why it matters. The numbers are an indictment of Mr. Bolsonaro’s demeanor. Fifty-five percent of Brazilians say they can never, or hardly ever, trust the president. And the share of voters with positive expectations for his administration dropped from 59% in April to 45% now. More importantly, the president has lost support among wealthier voters—one of his core group of followers. Meanwhile, his plan of “stealing” the Northeast from leftist...