Lula regains the lead in the polls against Flavio Bolsonaro after explosive revelations

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is now ahead of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in voting intentions for the Brazilian presidential election, according to a new poll published Tuesday, marked by the impact of recent revelations targeting the right-wing candidate.

According to the AtlasIntel/Bloomberg poll, Lula would obtain 48,9% of the vote in a potential second round, compared to 41,8% for Flavio Bolsonaro. The previous poll conducted in April, however, showed the two men virtually tied, with a slight advantage for the conservative senator.

In the first round, Lula also appears to be far ahead with 47% of voting intentions, well ahead of Flavio Bolsonaro who is credited with 34,3%. The other candidates tested remain far behind, notably Romeu Zema, Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos.

This development comes after the publication of an investigation by the media Intercept Brazil claiming that Flavio Bolsonaro negotiated 134 million reais in funding from former Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro to produce a film about the life of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Flavio Bolsonaro rejected all accusations of wrongdoing. He confirmed the existence of the funding but maintained that it was simply a "private sponsorship" without any political or financial quid pro quo. Meanwhile, Daniel Vorcaro, currently detained since March, is accused of attempting to bribe a former official at the Brazilian central bank, an accusation he also denies.

Brazil is scheduled to hold its presidential election next October. As stipulated by the Brazilian electoral system, a second round will be held if no candidate receives more than 50% of the valid votes in the first round.

The AtlasIntel poll surveyed 5,032 people between May 13 and 18, with a margin of error estimated at one percentage point. This new survey confirms the extremely polarized political climate dominating the campaign in Latin America's largest economy.