The Brazilian government on Tuesday began disbursing social assistance benefits with a 50% increase as part of a US$8 billion package of measures approved by Congress last month.
Caixa Economica Federal, a state-owned bank, has begun paying Auxilio Brasil R$600 (US$120), benefiting some 20 million poor families, and Vale Gas R$110 reais (US$22) for more than five million users.
At the same time, a subsidy of R$1,000 (US$200) has begun to be paid to nearly one million truck drivers. This is another measure included in a proposed constitutional amendment (PEC) approved by Congress in July.
This “benefits package” will be in effect until Dec. 31, in what the opposition called an “election campaign” as elections are held on Oct. 2 in which President Jair Bolsonaro is seeking re-election.
According to a poll published by the Quaest agency last week, the president’s approval and his government among the poorest voters improved.
In the same poll, opposition candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva continued to receive the most votes among low-income voters, but his approval in this social segment lost strength