Election's First Round Cost US$ 740 million, 73% Of Which From Government Funding

Private funding, from donations or the politicians' own money, corresponded to US$ 200 million

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Ranier Bragon Camila Mattoso
Brasília

An assessment from the Brazilian election campaigns shows that candidates had funding in a total of R$ 2.82 billion (US$ 740 million), and 73% of which originated from government sources (party and election funds).

Private funding (donations or from the politicians' own money) corresponded to R$ 764 million (US$ 200 million). 

The presidential candidates who remained in the runoff received R$ 31.4 million (US$ 13.6 million), but that money wasn't evenly split. Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) received R$ 1.9 million (US$ 500,000) while Fernando Haddad (PT) received R$ 49.5 million (US$ 13 million), including the amount used in campaigning for Lula, before the former president, who is serving a sentence for corruption, be stopped from running by the courts.

Combination of file photos shows Jair Bolsonaro casting his vote in Rio de Janeiro and Fernando Haddad gesturing as he casts his vote, in Sao Paulo, during the election's first round - REUTERS

Four years ago, the total campaign spending was R$ 5 billion (R$ 6.4 billion today, the equivalent of US$ 1.7 billion), with R$ 3 billion of which (R$ 3,8 billion today, the equivalent of US$ 1 million) coming from corporate donations. Companies are forbidden since 2015 from donating to political campaigns.

Translated by NATASHA MADOV

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