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Brazil's Lula announces 15% welfare boost ahead of election

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a decree on Thursday increasing benefits of his flagship welfare program by 15 percent, weeks before the first round of the presidential elections. The minimum monthly benefit per family of Bolsa Familia (Family Grant) will rise to 691 reais ($134) next month, from 600 reais. The decree says that it adjusts payments for…

Brazil's Lula announces 15% welfare boost ahead of election

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on Thursday a 15% increase in benefits for his flagship welfare program, Bolsa Familia, weeks before the presidential elections. The minimum monthly benefit per family will rise from 600 reais ($117) to 691 reais ($134) next month. This adjustment aims to adjust payments for accumulated inflation since March 2023, increasing the purchasing power of voters.

The election will determine whether Lula secures a fourth term or if Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, wins in a likely run-off vote. With polls showing the two candidates neck-and-neck, Lula's administration maintains that Bolsa Familia is crucial in supporting vulnerable families and preventing poverty and food insecurity.

Finance Minister Dario Durigan emphasized that the additional spending would be covered within existing budget allocations, not requiring new expenditures.

Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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