Brazil’s Lula widens lead over Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of presidential vote, poll shows

SAO PAULO, June 10 (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has widened his lead over opposition Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in the run-up to this year’s presidential race, recovering ground after reports linked the right-wing challenger to a disgraced banker, a poll showed on Wednesday.

• Leftist Lula would win a potential second-round runoff against Flavio by 44% to 38%, the Quaest poll commissioned by brokerage Genial suggested.

• The poll was conducted after Intercept Brasil published a story alleging Flavio negotiated a $24 million investment from former Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro to finance a film inspired by the life of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Flavio has denied any wrongdoing.

• In a May poll, Lula had 42% versus Flavio’s 41%.

• Latin America’s largest economy will hold a national election in October.

• In a first-round scenario, Lula would take 39%, Bolsonaro 29%, Renan Santos and Ronaldo Caiado 3% each, and Romeu Zema 2%.

• In Brazil, if no candidate gets more than 50% of valid votes, the two frontrunners go to a second-round vote.

• Quaest surveyed 2,004 people between June 5-8. The poll has a margin of error of two percentage points in either direction.

(Reporting by Michael Susin; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Jan Harvey)