With “Renda Brasil” Program, Bolsonaro Leaves Workers’ Party without Issue

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After President Jair Bolsonaro said over the weekend that he would not be able to permanently provide emergency aid because it would “blow up the economy,” the discussion on the introduction of the Renda Brasil (Brazil Income) program has gained momentum within the government. The program involves a redesigning of the current Bolsa Família (Family Grant).

Rodrigo Constantino, a commentator for Jovem Pan, says the new welfare program “leaves the Workers’ Party (PT) uncontentious” by coöpting its principal base issue.

However, he believes the “best social program is called job creation,” but the proposal could be a “silver bullet,” from a political strategy perspective. “I dream of the day when Brazil will not need any assistance,” he added.

According to Constantino, “what Bolsonaro is doing is raiding the cornfield that was once ruled by the PT, which is the Northeast”. Commentator Thaís Oyama believes that “Renda Brasil inspires the President” and that the social welfare program would be “crucial for Brazil and also for President Jair Bolsonaro – and perhaps not only for the 2022 elections.”

In Luiz Carlos Azedo’s assessment, Renda Brasil is a “liberal social resource to address a critical problem in society,” but Congress may want to increase its amounts, as it does with the emergency aid. “This must be the tug of war,” he said.

On Sunday, Bolsonaro again criticized governors over the novel coronavirus pandemic. According to him, the same governors who “broke” the economy in their states, are urging the emergency aid, granted by the federal government, to become permanent. Bolsonaro pointed out that the benefit costs the federal treasury over R$50 billion per month.

Source: Jovem Pan