Lula ramps up public handouts in the final stretch of Brazil’s presidential campaign
Some 20 million Brazilian families begin receiving this week a 15% increase in the Bolsa Família social programme, the centrepiece of a broad package of aid, subsidies and tax cuts announced by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the final stretch of the campaign for Sunday’s runoff, in which he faces Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a statistical tie.
Brazil's presidential campaign enters its final phase as incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva intensifies his outreach to families, announcing a 15% boost in the Bolsa Família social program. The expanded aid package, part of a broader set of measures unveiled by Lula, is poised to cost almost 300 billion reais (approximately US$57 billion) in the latter half of 2026 and 2027.
The president's campaign highlights the economic support as a key issue, as his rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, pledges to maintain existing social programs while proposing significant public spending cuts. Lula has also pledged a 5,000 reais payment to micro-entrepreneurs and a partial debt forgiveness, while Bolsonaro has vowed to uphold Bolsa Família, though the feasibility of both policies remains uncertain.
With the polls showing a statistical tie between the two candidates, the race's outcome hinges on their final debate on Friday.
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