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Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – The leader of the far right, Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's next president, stumbled on Wednesday fearing favorable investors, while a series of violent incidents denoted a polarization deep caused by the electoral race.
The Brazilian stock market plummeted, driven by sharp declines in state-run energy companies, after Bolsonaro had made it clear that its promises of privatization and pension reform were far less ambitious than expected.
Bolsonaro's economic adviser was also targeted in a federal fraud investigation into allegations of mismanagement in the investment firms he ran, involving pension funds linked to companies managed by the company. # 39; State. The prosecutor's office confirmed the investigation, reported for the first time by the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, to AFP.
Sensing an opportunity, the leftist candidate behind, Fernando Haddad, insisted that the televised debates against Bolsonaro be televised before the second round, on October 28, to decide the presidency.
However, the impact of these developments on Bolsonaro's important lead on this election was unclear.
The ultraconservative populist won 46% of the vote in a first round held last Sunday, despite criticism from critics of controversial remarks in the past denigrating women and gays, and pleading for torture and the Brazilian military dictatorship of 1964-1985.
Haddad, representing the Workers Party despised by supporters of Bolsonaro for his years of power between 2003 and 2016, when Brazil had a prosperous period, experienced a devastating collapse, scored 29%.
A poll released Wednesday by Datafolha firm confirmed Bolsonaro's advantage for the second round, giving him 58% of voting intentions, or 42% of Haddad's vote.
– "China buys Brazil" –
Bolsonaro was cold on the backs of investors who last week promised the Brazilian markets to implement free market reforms in the largest economy in Latin America, in the long run, on a protectionist model. state.
In an interview with Band TV on Tuesday, he said his privatization pledge would not extend to the main activities of the Petrobras oil company or to the electricity generation business. He pointed out that China – which has become the main foreign investor and trading partner of Brazil – was a threat.
"China does not buy in Brazil – China buys Brazil," Bolsonaro said.
He also said that when he came to power, he would only "slowly" attack Brazil's unsustainable pension system.
The public electricity company Eletrobras fell by 8.4% and Petrobras by 2.9% at the end of the exchanges. The entire Ivobespa stock index ended down nearly 3% and the Brazilian real fell against the dollar.
Concerns about the deep division in the notoriously unequal Brazilian society are worsening as voters divide over the two candidates – both of whom face big blocks of rejection "never him" – harden with several cases electoral violence, especially against the supporters of Haddad.
A memorial service was held Wednesday for a 63-year-old man who was stabbed two days earlier at a bar in the northeastern city of Salvador. He was reportedly killed by a 36-year-old man after claiming that "the people would prefer the Workers Party" in Bolsonaro.
According to Brazilian media reports, workers' supporters have also been attacked and threatened by supporters of Bolsonaro.
The far right candidate, a 63-year-old former paratrooper, described the isolated incidents and sensationalists as "manipulating public opinion".
"I ask people to stop, but I do not control them," he said.
Bolsonaro pointed out that he had been stabbed by a single assailant while he was campaigning a month ago.
– Warnings and Approval –
This attack forced him to go to the hospital and then to the house, where he intensified his clever use of social media to attract more voters.
His doctors said he was still not sufficiently recovered to participate in the first Haddad debate scheduled for Thursday.
Haddad replied that he was willing to debate Bolsonaro anywhere. "I'll go to the infirmary if he wants it," he said.
The international media has focused on Bolsonaro's promises to overthrow Brazilian society, politics and economy.
The British newspaper The Guardian and The Economist both warned that Bolsonaro posed a serious threat to democracy in his country.
Americas Quarterly was planning a bloodbath if Bolsonaro became president. "The Brazilian company is in the mood to break the whim," wrote Brian Winter, a long-time observer in Brazil.
But the Wall Street Journal – controlled by Australian-born American magnate Rupert Murdoch, whose media empire firmly backs US President Donald Trump – rejected the "anxiety attack" launched against Bolsonaro , "which promises to make Brazil a great player for the first time".
The editorial board of the newspaper said it considered that Haddad wanted to implement a model similar to that of Venezuela. "It's not surprising that Brazilians are responding to a candidate who promises something better," he said.
