With Presidency in Sight, Brazil's Bolsonaro Stumbles With Campaign Finance Allegation

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-election/with-presidency-in-sight-brazils-bolsonaro-stumbles-with-campaign-finance-allegation-idUSKCN1MT1HI

Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right candidate in Brazil who currently leads in the presidential polls, has recently been accused of committing a campaign finance violation. This violation is over whether or not Bolsonaro asked business heads at a dinner in San Paulo if they could fund, as the Reuters article refers to it, "Bulk propaganda messaging" on the WhatsApp texting service. Furthermore, Brazilian federal prosecutors are investigating Bolsonaro's pick for economic advisor over fraud accusations concerning pension funds. These accusations paint Bolsonaro as a hypocrite, a man who accuses the Workers Party of committing widespread corruption that he himself could also be partaking in. This comes a week before the October 28th run-off vote for the presidency, in which Bolsonaro holds a 18% lead over his opponent Fernando Haddad of the leftist Workers Party. Bolsonaro is a polarizing political figure, as he runs on an anti-establishment platform and far-right principles, similar to that of Donald Trump of the United States and Andrzej Duda of Poland. I will monitor the effect that these accusations will have on the Brazilian election, but it looks that Bolsonaro will win the election despite his radical views and accusations made against him.

Kevin Phelan