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Lula’s team had asked to investigate Bolsonaro for expanding social aid during the 2022 campaign
Folha de S.Paulo recalled that the current administration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had challenged measures taken by Jair Bolsonaro during the 2022 election before the electoral courts. The review comes after the announcement of an increase in Bolsa Família in the middle of the 2026 presidential campaign.
The current administration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had already denounced in 2022 the electoral use of social programs by Jair Bolsonaro, according to Folha de S.Paulo. At the time, the team of the then PT candidate asked the Superior Electoral Court to investigate the president for expanding benefits during the campaign and sought to have him declared ineligible.
According to that outlet, the filing argued that Bolsonaro had illegally granted economic benefits during the electoral period with the intention of attracting votes and influencing voters’ decisions. Among the measures mentioned were the early payment of Auxílio Brasil and Auxílio Gás, the expansion of families covered by the program, aid for truck drivers and taxi drivers, a debt renegotiation plan with Caixa Econômica Federal, the release of future FGTS to finance housing, credit for women entrepreneurs and payroll loans linked to Auxílio Brasil.
According to Folha de S.Paulo, in August 2022 Bolsonaro’s government raised the benefit by R$ 200, which went from a floor of R$ 400 to R$ 600 between August and December. The Ministry of Citizenship then reported the addition of 2.2 million new families, for a total of 20.2 million registered households.
The review was published after Lula announced this Thursday a 15.04% adjustment in Bolsa Família. The measure raises the minimum amount from R$ 600 to R$ 691 per family, will begin to be paid on October 19 and, according to Folha de S.Paulo, will cost R$ 5.8 billion this year and R$ 22.7 billion annually in 2027 and 2028.
In another note, Folha de S.Paulo reported that a Datafolha poll showed that among those who receive Bolsa Família or live with beneficiaries, 53% would vote for Lula in the first round and 28% for Flávio Bolsonaro. In the runoff, that segment would give 60% to the current president and 33% to the senator, according to that survey.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not do its own reporting on this fact.
