Brazil’s largest criminal organization, at center of crime-politics as elections loom
Policymakers and markets are watching a widening Banco Master fraud case as authorities unseal documents and probe Flavio Bolsonaro’s ties to the funding of the Dark Horse film. Lula must confront ongoing court turmoil while Bolsonaro faces new investigations ahead of the election.
The government has signed a provisional order banning fixed-odds sports betting and prohibiting new deposits, with a bill to criminalise the practice under consideration. The measures, announced by President Lula, come ahead of the presidential election as Brazilian households face gambling-related harms and debts.
Opinion polls and election results have shown Senator Flávio Bolsonaro leading President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after the Oct. 4 first round, and polls released in mid‑October have kept the race within a narrow margin ahead of the Oct. 25 runoff. Bolsonaro has consolidated some endorsements while Lula has pushed a shorter workweek and social measures to energise voters.