Folks,
Greetings from Sáo Paulo, where I am getting ready to cover Lula’s last-ever campaign rally. It's a historic occasion, and we are going to film. I just wanted to give folks a quick update on where things stand.
Over a million people are expected today in São Paulo, and more than a million attended earlier today in Rio.
$300 Needed for Cameraman
We have lined up some incredible interviews here in Sáo Paulo and wanna put in some extra days of work to edit and get all the interviews yet.
Donate today to help us cover this crucial story and get a free Lula T-Shirt (fill out this form here)
Polls Showed the Race Tied Up with Debate Tonight
Over the last few days, several polls have come out. Some show Lula up by 1 or 2 points; some show Bolsonaro up by 1 or 2 points; others show a tie, but they all point to the same thing: this race will come down to turnout.
Lula’s Army Grows to Ten Million
The Lula team has built an incredible WhatsApp Group called “Lula’s Army” that has gone from 72,000 to 10 million in just three weeks. Their turnout machine is massive, but questions remain about whether it is enough.
Bolsonaro-appointed Supreme Court Justice Kassio Nunes Marques keeps trying to block the channel, but news of the channel seems to make it grow more and more each time.
Paramilitary Gangs, Bosses & Evangelicals Pushing Vote for Bolsonaro
On the other side of the ball, Bolsonaro is using the combined forces of paramilitary gangs, employers, and evangelicals to turn out the vote.
A new analysis shows that workplace electoral harassment complaints are at an all-time high.
Evangelical churches, many backed by the US right and representing 30% of Brazil’s population, are breaking hard for Bolsonaro by a 2-to-1 margin, while Catholics are breaking for Lula.
Most shockingly, a new analysis shows that Bolsonaro won in favelas that were controlled by milicas, paramilitary gangs run by former cops and right-wing politicians linked to the Bolsonaro family.
In last night’s debate, Lula repeatedly attacked Bolsonaro for his connections to militias.
Bolsonaro Refuses to Open Bank Accounts as Disapproval Ratings Climb
Tonight, Lula is expected to attack Bolsonaro.
During last week’s debate, Bolsonaro repeatedly accused Lula of corruption, challenging both Lula and his entire family to open their bank accounts before the Brazilian Supreme Court to prove it.
Lula responded by opening his and his family's bank accounts, including his granddaughter's, for everyone, including the Brazilian Supreme Court, to see. He then challenged Bolsonaro to open his bank accounts.
Bolsonaro was heavily implicated in the Banco Master scandal, Brazil's largest banking collapse. An audio recording released by Intercept Brasil showed Bolsonaro asking Banco Master CEO Daniel Vorcaro for $20 million for a biopic about his dad; Vorcaro is in prison and awaiting trial for running the bank like a Ponzi scheme.
Last week, the Brazilian federal police accused Flavio Bolsonaro of being the “master user” of a private bank account Vorcaro set up in the Cayman Islands.
Bolsonaro responded that he would open his accounts only if Lula met additional conditions. Lula then agreed to those conditions, but Bolsonaro hasn't opened the accounts. The effect has been to drag out the news cycle; causing Bolsonaro a major headache.
Alright folks, I gotta run, but pass the hat and help us keep reporting.
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