On Bloomberg, warning about the new political situation in Brazil, “Moderates flop, setting the stage for the Lula-Bolsonaro confrontation” (reproduction below).
“With friendly fire and miscalculations, the centrist aspirants are undermining the efforts, which were already a shot in the dark, to give voters a ‘third way’, an alternative to leaders”, he describes, noting that “Bolsonaro has gained more support after Sergio Moro suspended his candidacy”.
Along the same lines, in a Reuters analysis entitled “Bolsonaro’s party grows as center-right rivals stumble on their way to campaign,” correspondent Anthony Boadle writes of the PL’s swelling bench:
“With Lula at a big advantage but dwindling, the popularity contest in Brasilia is a reminder of how the powers of Bolsonaro’s cabinet will shape the race.”
And the organization Americas Society/Council of the Americas published an article by its vice president, journalist Brian Winter, under the title “Despite everything, Bolsonaro can still win”.
“Or at least get things close enough to make a mess,” he adds in the text. “A window has opened for Bolsonaro. Even if he doesn’t win, being short of points can allow him to resort to Trump’s playbook and try to contest the result.”
He does not cite Moro or the centre-right, but notes: “There are few signs of demand for a ‘third way’ candidate outside certain business and media elites.”
