Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva presented a constitutional amendment on Wednesday that would reserve budget funds for free public transport on weekends and holidays, tying the move to workers’ newly expanded right to rest.

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The initiative would redirect 26.8% of parliamentary budget amendments to fund the program, which the government says would strengthen working-class access to leisure and urban mobility.

It envisions reallocating 11.2 billion reais (more than 2.2 billion dollars) from the budget controlled by Congress, whose concentration of resources has historically limited the federal government’s ability to carry out social policies. The proposal still needs to pass Congress.

RELATED: Lula Signs Constitutional Amendment Reducing Brazil’s Workweek to 40 Hours

The Brazilian government argues that this concentration of resources in parliamentary hands has historically limited the federal government’s capacity to carry out social programs. Reassigning the money, officials contend, restores room for initiatives aimed at urban mobility and access to leisure for the working class.

PESSOAL URGENTE 🚨

Lula anuncia tarifa zero para ônibus aos fins de semana em todo o país. PEC foi enviada ao Congresso e prevê que parte do orçamento das emendas parlamentares financie a medida. #FandomsComLula pic.twitter.com/cYNB8bGf9q

— Fandoms Com Lula ⭐️ (@fandomscomlula) October 21, 2026

During the same ceremony at Planalto Palace Lula signed a separate law forgiving 16 billion reais (about $3.1 billion) in tax debts accumulated by individual microentrepreneurs, a category that covers millions of small producers and self-employed workers.

Administration officials portrayed the debt pardon as a lifeline for families whose tax obligations had outpaced their ability to pay. The two measures, they said, respond to the same pressure weighing on popular households across Brazil.

The Brazilian President described the weekend transport plan as a pilot program. Its purpose is to measure the social and operational impact of the zero fare model before any decision to extend it nationwide.

Lula’s administration said the project complements the recent reduction of the working week, helping workers make effective use of their right to rest. Days before Wednesday’s event, Lula attended the Senate promulgation of a separate constitutional amendment that abolishes the six-days-on, one-day-off schedule. The change secures two paid days of rest each week, preferably Saturday and Sunday, and shortens the maximum work week without cutting pay.

🚍 MAIS TEMPO PARA VIVER!

Hoje enviamos ao Congresso a PEC da Tarifa Zero, que propõe transporte público gratuito aos fins de semana e feriados em todo o Brasil e em cidades que possuem transporte público.

Essa proposta se conecta a uma conquista fundamental: o fim da escala… pic.twitter.com/yOcfXFuZ05

— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 21, 2026

Despite criticism from far-right sectors backing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the executive said it will deepen its commitment to restoring rights and defending popular gains. The announcements come days before the October 25 presidential runoff in which Lula faces Bolsonaro.

The weekend fare initiative arrives as Lula’s administration pushes a broader agenda of recovering social and labor protections. The Brazilian President has linked the transit measure and the shorter work week as parts of a single effort to lift the weight of daily costs from working families.

Trata-se, isso sim, de compreender como se constituem hierarquias para lá das hierarquias visíveis; de como o poder opera de forma invisível; e de como o poder é tão mais poderoso quanto mais invisível.

President Lula of Brazil said that Flavio Bolsonaro must disclose his financial records if he wants to debate him again before the runoff.

The post Brazil’s Lula Seeks Way Out After Debate Disaster: Won’t Face ‘Thief’ Flávio Bolsonaro Again Without Bank Records appeared first on Breitbart.

El humor del electorado brasileño oscila levemente a medida que se aproxima la hora de la verdad —el domingo, elecciones presidenciales— sin salir o sin alejarse mucho del empate técnico. La encuesta más reciente muestra este miércoles al senador Flávio Bolsonaro y al presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva empatados dentro del margen de error, que es de dos puntos. El derechista saca un 45%, tras caer un punto en la última semana, frente al 44% de Lula, que se mantiene. El sondeo de Quaest, encargado por Globo y divulgado este miércoles, también detecta un ligero incremento de indecisos entre las mujeres, los electores independientes (ni Lula ni Bolsonaro) y los que reciben Bolsa Familia, una ayuda recién aumentada. El debate previsto para el viernes, el segundo entre ambos, puede ser decisivo.

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© Jean Carniel (REUTERS)

El mandatario advirtió sobre las graves repercusiones económicas del conflicto en el estrecho de Ormuz e instó a los líderes mundiales a desviar los trillones de dólares destinados al gasto militar hacia el combate contra el hambre, la salud y la educación.

O Presidente argentino, que proferiu ofensas ao homólogo brasileiro, é apoiante declarado de Jair Bolsonaro. Itamaraty considera que a "antidemocrática" declaração "é inaceitável e desequilibrada".

© JUAN IGNACIO RONCORONI/EPA

Twenty million families living in poverty will begin receiving extra cash this week, just days before the runoff in Brazil’s closely contested presidential election. The 15% increase in payments from Bolsa Família (the Workers Party’s flagship anti-poverty program) that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced in September, shortly before the first round of voting, is reaching the pockets of the neediest just ahead of Sunday’s runoff vote.

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© Ricardo Rimoli (EFE)

A new Quaest poll shows the far-right senator with 45% of voter support and the progressive president with 44%.

On Wednesday, polling firm Quaest revealed that Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro’s lead over President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in voting intentions for Brazil’s presidential runoff had narrowed from 2 points last week to just 1 point.

RELATED:

Lula Offers to Lift Bank Secrecy as Bolsonaro’s Wealth Faces Scrutiny

If the election were held today, the far-right candidate, who received the most votes in the first round, would receive 45% of the vote, while the progressive president would garner 44%, indicating that the two remain statistically tied because the poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

In the poll conducted last week by the same firm, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) had 46% of voter support, a decline of 1 point, while Lula, who is seeking reelection and a fourth nonconsecutive term, had 44%, unchanged from the previous survey.

The new poll, released just four days before the runoff scheduled for Oct. 25, confirmed that the presidential election ranks among Brazil’s most polarized, with the country still divided between the progressivism led by Lula and the far-right politics of the Bolsonaro clan.

Quaest: Lula amplia vantagem entre beneficiários do Bolsa Família. O candidato à reeleição aumentou de 60% para 62%. Ao mesmo tempo, Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) caiu de 31% para 27%.

➡️ #GloboNewsRadar – de segunda a sexta, às 8h30, na #GloboNews. Assista na TV e no Globoplay pic.twitter.com/43AKlyZnCE

— GloboNews (@GloboNews) October 21, 2026

The text reads, “Quaest: Lula expands his lead among Bolsa Família beneficiaries. The candidate seeking reelection rose from 60% to 62%. At the same time, Flavio Bolsonaro (PL) fell from 31% to 27%.”

According to Quaest, which interviewed 2,154 voters between Saturday and Tuesday, the percentage of undecided voters rose from 1% to 2% over the past week, while the percentage of those intending to cast blank ballots or invalidate their votes remained at 9%.

The new poll was conducted after the candidates’ first televised debate on Oct. 18 and after the Brazilian president announced new measures. In addition to the reduction of the workweek from 44 to 40 hours, with two days off and no reduction in pay, Lula announced in recent days a measure to forgive microentrepreneurs’ debts and a bill to provide free bus transportation on weekends.

Bolsonaro received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, with 47.03%, while Lula finished second with 45.16%, leaving a gap of less than 2 percentage points between them.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

La película de Pixar Monstruos, S. A. pasa en un mundo de fantasía donde toda una sociedad industrial se sostiene sobre la energía de los gritos de los niños. Para eso, hay toda una factoría, ocupando una gigantesca nave industrial, que va poniendo a disposición de monstruos profesionales puertas mágicas que les conducen a las habitaciones infantiles. Los monstruos entran, asustan y se van a quedar con los amigos o a cenar. Para ellos es una industria cualquiera.

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© Cantero de las Muelas. Lucía

Veinte millones de familias acuciadas por la pobreza empezaron a recibir esta semana, la última antes de las elecciones presidenciales, un dinero extra. El aumento del 15% en la cuantía de Bolsa Familia que el presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva anunció en septiembre, poco antes de la primera vuelta, llega al bolsillo de los más necesitados justo antes de los comicios del domingo. El incremento de la paga que garantiza lo más básico a los brasileños más vulnerables es la principal medida del amplio paquete de ayudas, subsidios y aumentos que el líder de la izquierda brasileña promete a un electorado partido en dos mitades casi exactas con pocos indecisos. Lula y el senador Flávio Bolsonaro llegan al sprint final en empate técnico.

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© Ricardo Rimoli (EFE)

Brazil spent years targeting electoral lies on the internet. Now, artificial intelligence is stumping the election authorities and reshaping a high-stakes race.

Lula fala numa alegada "manipulação algorítmica" da Meta, com o objetivo de o prejudicar, já Bolsonaro acusou o atual presidente brasileiro de propaganda abusiva numa conta governamental de WhatsApp.

© SEBASTIAO MOREIRA/EPA

Con su permiso, esta vez esta columna será muy personal. Es una decisión que viene dada por la gravedad del momento. Sospecho que la mayoría de la población mundial no se da cuenta de lo que sucede en Brasil, ni de cómo afecta a la vida del planeta. El próximo domingo 25 de octubre tendrá lugar la segunda vuelta de las elecciones brasileñas. Se decidirá en las urnas si Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva será reelegido o si el bolsonarismo, un proyecto de extrema derecha encarnado por la familia Bolsonaro, volverá a instalarse en el poder. Esta vez el proyecto fascista está representado por Flávio Bolsonaro, el hijo mayor del expresidente Jair Bolsonaro, hoy preso por intento de golpe de Estado. No son unas elecciones normales y quien las trate como si lo que estuviera sobre la mesa fueran dos proyectos compatibles con la democracia está desinformando a los lectores. No hay neutralidad posible cuando lo que está en juego es la propia democracia, la supervivencia de la Amazonia y la vida de muchos.

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© Suamy Beydoun (EFE)

Rostros jóvenes y provocadores emplean las redes sociales y la IA como altavoz Leer

O evento, promovido pelo coach Pablo Marçal e fechado à imprensa, reuniu figuras com 200 milhões de seguidores para produzir conteúdos e alinhar mensagens de campanha.

© RAPHAEL ALVES/EPA

"Vira PIX" daria reembolso a todos os brasileiros, ao contrário do cashback da Reforma Tributária, limitado a baixos rendimentos. Custo da medida não foi revelado.

© RAPHAEL ALVES/EPA

Meta said it had "completed the implementation of measures to comply with the directive from the electoral court."

O candidato do partido de esquerda afirma que a divulgação dos dados é essencial para que os brasileiros sejam informados sobre quem vão votar. Bolsonaro afirmou que tem tudo declarado à Receita.

© RICARDO RIMOLI/EPA

Far-right presidential candidate’s TV debate swipe at rival backfires as people take to social media to parody it

To Flávio Bolsonaro and his publicists, it must have seemed an ingenious idea that would expose his rival’s supposed crookedness on the eve of Brazil’s presidential election.

But the far-right politician’s decision to attend a primetime television debate against his leftwing opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with the word “corrupto” (corrupt) written on the palm of his hand has backfired.

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© Photograph: Allison Sales/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Allison Sales/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Allison Sales/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Brazilian president challenges Flavio Bolsonaro to disclose his financial records, businesses and family assets.

On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he would submit an authorization to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) on Tuesday to lift bank secrecy protections on his accounts and those of his family members.

RELATED:

Brazil Protesters Accuse Meta of Election Interference

However, Lula specified that the measure was contingent on his presidential election rival, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, submitting similar authorization covering his own financial records, his businesses and those close to him.

The proposal follows a tense exchange between the two candidates during Sunday’s presidential debate, in which the opposition senator’s financial assets became one of the central topics of discussion.

“I will submit this tomorrow to the TSE, hoping that the opposing candidate will submit a proposal to lift the confidentiality of his records, as well as those of his businesses and family,” Lula said, explaining that he had included his five children to avoid unfounded accusations during the campaign.

The public dispute erupted when Lula questioned the source of the funds Flavio Bolsonaro used to purchase a property in Lago Sul, an exclusive neighborhood in Brasilia, valued at 5.97 million Brazilian reais ($R).

É tão lento de raciocínio que escreveu na própria mão “corrupto”. E o pior é que no final ainda correu do desafio lançado pelo Lula de abrir contas e provar que é honesto. Essa foto resume a imagem que ficou do Flávio Bolsonaro. Que surra, e implorando pra virar meme. Fraco. pic.twitter.com/MRGq7azi8e

— GugaNoblat (@GugaNoblat) October 19, 2026

The text reads, “He is so slow-witted that he wrote ‘corrupt’ on his own hand. And the worst part is that, in the end, he even backed away from the challenge issued by Lula to open up his accounts and prove his honesty. This photo sums up the impression left by Flávio Bolsonaro. What a thrashing—and he practically begged to become a meme! Pathetic.”

During the debate, Lula compared his own assets — a 190-square-meter apartment valued at 1.5 million reais — with Flavio’s wealth, pointing to the disparity between parliamentary earnings and the value of the residence.

When asked how he financed the purchase, the far-right senator replied that he had acquired the property “through work.” However, that answer appears to conflict with actual financial figures.

An analysis of salary data from the Transparency Portal shows that between February 2019 and September 2026, Flavio Bolsonaro received approximately 2.9 million reais in net salary and allowances as a senator.

Without accounting for interest, personal expenses or other income, the lawmaker would have needed to save his entire net salary for about 15 years to cover the property’s value.

When registering his presidential candidacy in 2026, the far-right politician declared total assets of 8.18 million reais, an increase of 6.44 million reais compared with the 1.74 million reais he declared in 2018.

The transaction, completed in 2021, included a down payment of 2.87 million reais and 3.1 million reais in financing through Banco de Brasilia (BRB) over 30 years. The loan was paid off in full in 2024, just three years later.

The terms of the loan are under investigation by the Federal Police as part of Operation Cumprimento Zero, which is examining alleged irregularities involving BRB and Banco Master.

In response to the questions, Flavio Bolsonaro has maintained that his funds were obtained legally, arguing that his income comes from his work as a lawmaker, his activities as a businessman and lawyer, the sale of a previous property, and his stake in a chocolate shop.

teleSUR/ J

F Sources: Brasil de Fato – EFE