Brazil in August 2026: the most important developments in politics
Brazil in August 2026 was dominated by the campaign for the October presidential election. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced his reelection bid on August 3, his seventh presidential campaign, and launched it with events in São Bernardo do Campo and Rio de Janeiro on August 17. His main rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, started his own campaign the same day. Polls varied: a Meio/Ideia survey on August 5 showed Lula ahead of Flávio Bolsonaro 48.5% to 43% in a runoff, and a Palver poll on August 10 showed them tied at 46%. Flávio Bolsonaro faced setbacks in building alliances, as the centrão bloc avoided endorsing him and parties including the PP and União Brasil withheld support in several places. On August 27 he filed a legal action to bar Lula from using the Alvorada Palace for electoral content. Late in the month Lula defended his son in a TV interview amid a lobbying scandal; police said a lobbyist paid for the car and credit card of Lula's former chief of staff. On August 21 federal prosecutors said INSS director Carlos Alberto "Careca" had not closed deals with the government.
Foreign relations also strained. On August 4 the United States revoked the visa of Brazil's ambassador to Washington, and on August 21 Lula told Donald Trump by phone that retaliation against Brazil is unfounded. Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina and on August 5 downgraded relations, saying it would not replace him and asking Argentina's ambassador to leave, after Argentine President Javier Milei insulted Lula.
The courts shaped the race. On August 23 the Superior Electoral Court barred two former ministers of Jair Bolsonaro from running, and it authorized military deployment for the elections in five states. A Supreme Court justice froze funds sent through so-called Pix amendments by a deputy linked to Flávio Bolsonaro. Brazil fined TikTok $30 million over children's data protection and sued Discord over child safety.
On policy, Lula signed a minimum trucking rate, vetoed amnesty for 2022 road blockers, and the government said it had included 266,000 families in land reform.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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