International
Brazil’s Bolsonaro taps wife to woo Evangelicals, women

AFP | by Ramon SAHMKOW
Once a discreetly smiling presence at Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s side, First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro is increasingly wooing Evangelical Christian and women voters to reelect the husband she calls “one of God’s chosen ones.”
Trailing in the polls to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the far-right incumbent has turned to his telegenic, fervently Christian wife to help him with those two key demographic groups ahead of October 2 elections.
A mainly behind-the-scenes presence for most of Bolsonaro’s term, the first lady is now playing a starring role in his campaign — to the point of giving what he himself called the keynote speech when he launched his reelection bid a month ago.
“She’s the most important person here,” Bolsonaro, 67, gushed that day.
He then handed the mic over to his beaming 40-year-old wife, who warned ominously against returning “our enemies” to power and led the crowd in the Lord’s prayer.
Lula, Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010, is leading Bolsonaro 45 percent to 33 percent, according to a poll released Thursday by the Datafolha institute.
Among women, the gap was even bigger: 46 percent to 29 percent.
Bolsonaro has long struggled with women voters.
In his 2018 campaign, the former army captain was the target of a women-led movement called #EleNao — “not him” — launched by critics who accuse him of misogyny.
He has revived those accusations this time around with controversial campaign-trail behavior such as bragging about his supposed sexual prowess and lashing out at a woman journalist who asked him a tough question during the first presidential debate.
“You must have a crush on me or something,” he told her sarcastically.
Enter the first lady.
“Her role is to make (Bolsonaro) more attractive to women voters,” says Sergio Praca, a political analyst at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.
Winning strategy?
Both Bolsonaro and former president Lula are keenly courting women (53 percent of the electorate) and Evangelicals (an estimated 31 percent of Brazil’s 213 million people).
Known for his aggressive style and use of profanities, Bolsonaro has sometimes rubbed both groups the wrong way.
Political analysts say women voters also resent his lack of policies to help them through the country’s post-Covid-19 economic malaise, the impact of which has fallen disproportionately on their shoulders.
Michelle, Bolsonaro’s third wife, sends the message the president is a “conservative family man” and “trustworthy” candidate, says Carolina Botelho, a political communication specialist at Rio de Janeiro State University.
The elegant first lady’s increasingly active role has turned heads — including among the electoral authorities, who recently blocked a Bolsonaro campaign ad from television, ruling she had exceeded the time allotted to candidates’ allies.
But it is unclear if the strategy is paying off: Bolsonaro’s poll numbers among women have remained essentially flat.
Michelle “may have reinforced (Bolsonaro’s) standing among women who were already with him, but she hasn’t drawn in those who were against him,” says Botelho.
“She speaks well to a fanatic, radicalized audience, but not to the rest of the population.”
Religion and politics
The first lady appears to have greater pull with conservative Christians, given her history of volunteering on church-affiliated charity projects and her close ties with powerful Evangelical pastors and politicians.
“Her main strength is among the Evangelical electorate,” says Adriano Laureno, a political analyst at consulting firm Prospectiva.
Her speaking style “closely resembles a pastor’s,” with constant references to God and a struggle between good and evil, he adds.
In this case, the strategy may be working: Bolsonaro has extended his lead over Lula among Evangelicals, which stands at 49 percent to 32 percent in the latest Datafolha poll.
Polls also show a majority of voters in Brazil believe religion should play a role in politics.
The first lady does just that in her public appearances, regularly repeating her husband’s slogan: “Brazil above all, and God above everyone.”
International
Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.
The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.
The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).
“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.
Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”
International
Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.
Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.
A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”
According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.
International
Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.
Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.
“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.
“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.
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