Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro’s popularity fell to the lowest level since assuming office as he's accused of turning a blind eye to an alleged kickback scheme in the purchase of coronavirus vaccines.
Thirty-four percent of the population approves of Bolsonaro, down from 44% in February, according to an MDA poll published Monday by the National Transport Confederation. Meanwhile, rejection rates for the president and his government hit all-time highs of 63% and 48%, respectively.
Roughly 40% said they would prefer former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to win next year’s election, compared with 25% who want Bolsonaro as head of state for another term. About 30% would like to see someone who’s not the former president nor the incumbent winning.
Bolsonaro, whose popularity was already suffering amid a slow vaccination campaign and more than half a million deaths from COVID-19, came under additional pressure last week when a Supreme Court justice authorized a probe into the president’s possible negligence in the handling of allegations of corruption in vaccine purchases. His former environment minister also quit last month amid a police investigation into timber exports. Complicating the president’s standing further, surging inflation is hurting the nation’s poor.
The MDA poll interviewed 2,002 people nationwide and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.
