{
  "id": 15659765,
  "title": "Electoral kindness' or vote buying? The bill keeps growing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/bondade-eleitoral-ou-compra-de-voto-a-conta-nao-para-de-crescer",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-19T21:17:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Brazil Journal",
    "slug": "brazil-journal",
    "url": "https://braziljournal.com/bondade-eleitoral-ou-compra-de-voto-a-conta-nao-para-de-crescer"
  },
  "original_language": "pt",
  "account": "The Brazilian government has been announcing various measures, dubbed \"bondades eleitorais\" or \"electoral kindnesses,\" in an effort to boost President Lula's re-election chances. These measures are estimated to cost over R$ 300 billion, with a recent announcement to advance Bolsa Família payments, increased by 15.04%, expected to cost R$ 5.8 billion this year. A report by Pinotti & Schwartsman consultancy estimates the total cost of measures announced in recent months at R$ 356.3 billion, with R$ 88.5 billion of that coming since September. The measures have raised concerns about their impact on the country's fiscal situation and the burden that will be left for the next government.",
  "summary": "The proliferation of measures charity-like called ‘electoral kindnesses’ — or “buying votes with public money”, for others — has no parallel in the country's history. It is difficult to make an accurate count, because the “kindnesses” mix simple and direct increases in spending, future promises yet to be approved and off-budget policies, such as subsidized credit lines.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}