Bolsonaro speeds up payments to the poor as election looms
Brazilians in dire need of money will come out in force for a far-right candidate hoping to lead the country for the next five years.
The former army captain and congressman is riding a wave of popularity as the country faces the biggest political crisis in four decades.
He says people are angry at their elites, and he pledges to give them what they want.
“The government should be very close to the poor and those that are in dire need of urgent money,” Bolsonaro said in Rio de Janeiro, in front of 1,000 supporters.
Bolsonaro has been making the rounds of Brazilian media appearances, talking up his promise of social programs and government handouts, which he called a “miracle” and a “social security” plan that would help the poorest of Brazilians, and he calls on voters to “put him in power”.
As the second round of presidential polls draws near, the Bolsonaro campaign is riding a wave of momentum as he heads into the second-round ballot.
He is seen as a strong contender against an incumbent who is seen as being out of touch with the needs of the average Brazilian.
Support for Bolsonaro, who has said he would ban abortions and end subsidies to the poor, has been growing as he is seen as the perfect candidate to take on the sitting president.
But with just under half of the vote counted, the real estate mogul is trailing Aecio Neves, a former military officer who has run on a pro-market and pro-socialist platform that has been criticized by the opposition and many economists.
In the end, there is no doubt about a win for Bolsonaro.
Brazilians are looking for stability and a government that is closer to them.
The government in Brasilia has had enough of being bogged down by corruption scandals and with its economy growing, and wants to return Brazil to growth by offering tax