#jair bolsonaro
Bolsonaro visits disaster zone after deadly Brazil rains
ALTPresident Jair Bolsonaro sent his condolences Monday to the families of 91 people who died in torrential rains in northeastern Brazil, as rescue workers continued a grim search for victims.
Releasing an updated toll, authorities said 26 people remained missing in the region around the city of Recife, where days of downpours triggered flooding and landslides that swept up virtually everything in their path.
Bolsonaro posted a video on Twitter that showed him flying in a helicopter over a disaster zone where brown floodwater still inundated large areas and gashes of mud scarred hillsides where houses once stood.
“I tried to land, but the pilots’ recommendation was that, given the instability of the soil, we could have an accident. So we decided against it,” the far-right president told a news conference.
The government has allocated a total of one billion reais ($210 million) in emergency and reconstruction funds, said Regional Development Minister Daniel Ferreira.
“The forecast is for more rain in the coming days. We urge people to respect the alerts issued by the authorities” and evacuate if necessary, the minister added.
Brazil’s Lula holds double-digit advantage over Bolsonaro, says poll
Former left-wing president has 46 percent support compared with 32 percent for incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, new survey finds.
ALTBrazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is vying to unseat incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the country’s October elections, has reclaimed a double-digit advantage over the far-right leader, according to a new poll.
The survey published on Monday by Instituto FSB found that 46 percent of voters said they support Lula, up from 41 percent in April, while support for Bolsonaro was unchanged from a month ago at 32 percent.
FSB director Marcelo Tokarski said Bolsonaro had gained ground in April after former Justice Minister Sergio Moro dropped out, but Lula saw a bump after Joao Doria, the former governor of Sao Paulo state, who ran as a centre-right candidate, threw in the towel last week.
“The surge in inflation, but mainly the expectation among most voters that prices will continue to rise in the next three months, has been a hurdle for Bolsonaro’s re-election plans,” Tokarski said.
