:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bloomberglinea/VWYDR7RU2JH37HJG2WCBXV67AY.jpg "Former President Lula Speaks At The Metalworkers Union Headquarters.")
Bloomberg — Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva received the backing of a trucker leader who withdrew from the presidential race, potentially allowing the leftist front-runner to make forays into a key support base for incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.
Andre Janones announced that he was giving up his candidacy to support Lula after meeting with the former president in Sao Paulo on Thursday. In exchange, he added, Lula agreed to make 600-real ($115) payments through a cash transfer program permanent and to create a special secretary for mental health.
:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bloomberglinea/Y6DSNECMZJCNFM2MZ5YZRYHCZE.jpeg "Brazilian Vendors Create ‘DataTowel’ to Tally ‘Votes’ for Bolsonaro and Lula")
Despite obtaining only 1% to 2% of voting intention in major opinion polls, Janones has become popular among truck drivers -- a key constituency for Bolsonaro -- after emerging as one of the leaders of the 2018 strike that paralyzed the country. Using social media, he was able to channel truckers’ grievances without ever driving a truck, being elected as lower house representative that same year.
Bolsonaro has been trying secure the support of truckers by paying a monthly voucher of 1,000 reais this year to help them offset the cost of higher diesel prices.
