Brazil: back on the political scene, former president Lula at the top of the polls

Former Brazilian President Lula is racing ahead in the polls.

Sergio LIMA AFP / File

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Former Brazilian President Lula is back on the political scene, and he is leading the polls.

And this, while the current head of state Jair Bolsonaro is in difficulty, on the sidelines of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into his very controversial health policy in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis.

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From our correspondent in Sao Paulo

, 

Martin Bernard

18 points ahead in the first round, 23 in the second.

Lula widened the gap in a latest Datafolha poll.

The left-wing candidate distances the far-right president.

Admittedly, the presidential election will not take place until October of next year, but Jair Bolsonaro seems in a very bad position.

His handling of the pandemic is very unpopular.

Brazil is the second most bereaved country in the world after the United States, and less than 10% of the population has been vaccinated to date.

This crisis has now been combed through by a

Senate Commission of Inquiry

, with several embarrassing revelations: the government in particular ignored for two months a proposal to sell vaccines from the manufacturer Pfizer last year.

And today, Brazil suffers from a shortage of vaccines… This only increases the unpopularity of the Head of State.

54% of Brazilians say they would not vote for Jair Bolsonaro under any circumstances, while Lula is rejected by 36% of those polled.

Again, that's an 18 point difference.

►Also listen: Brazil: after the lifting of sentences, "Lula is the leader of the opposition, capable of beating Bolsonaro"

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  • Brazil

  • Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

  • Jair Bolsonaro

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Brazil: after the lifting of the sentences, "Lula is the leader of the opposition, able to beat Bolsonaro"