Three days before the elections in Brazil, leftist former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva maintains a 14-point lead over President Jair Bolsonaro and could win in the first round, according to a poll released Thursday.
Lula gathers 48% of the support, compared to 47% a week ago, while Bolsonaro also increased by one point, up to 34%, indicates the Datafolha Institute survey.
If only the valid votes are considered (without blanks or null), Lula obtains 50%, the minimum percentage not to require a second round, and Bolsonaro, who is seeking re-election, 36%, according to the survey released hours before the last debate between the presidential candidates.
In the event of a ballot, which would be on October 30, Lula would win with 54%, compared to 39% for the far-right president.
For this survey, Datafolha consulted 6,800 people. The margin of error is two percentage points.
In another poll published on Monday, by the Ipec consulting firm, Lula appears with 52% of the valid votes against Bolsonaro, who has 34%.
However, Bolsonaro has insisted during the campaign that he distrusts the polls, and believes in the support of “the people in the streets” and that he will win in the first round.
“The lying Datafolha is not here, here is our ‘Datapueblo,'” he said at a rally before a crowd of supporters on Sept. 7 in Brasilia.
This Thursday’s debate, which brings together Lula, Bolsonaro and five other candidates, is the second that the two leaders face after the one held on August 28.
Datafolha, one of the reference institutes in Brazil, will broadcast again on Saturday a final survey carried out after the debate.
With information from AFP.
