By Ludmila Cassio
A crowdfunding campaign by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's president from 2019 to 2022, has passed R$ 17 million (Brazilian reais) to cover the former president's legal expenses. A similar appeal by the Workers' Party (PT) to fund President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's reelection campaign raised only R$ 11,570, according to figures reported by Visão da Direita.
Bolsonaro fundraiser: 770,000 Pix transactions
The money was sent through Pix, Brazil's instant payment system, which lets users transfer funds from their phones. On the Bolsonaro side, about 770,000 transactions were made by supporters. The source describes them as ordinary people who chose to pay out of their own pockets to help the former president cover court costs.
There were no big financiers and no party fund involved. The total came from a large number of small contributions.
PT's R$ 13 appeal for Lula raised 890 donations
The PT tried something similar. The party called on its activists to donate R$ 13 to help cover the costs of Lula's reelection campaign. The result fell far short of expectations: 890 donations and R$ 11,570 raised. The amount requested was low, and participation was still minimal.
Why it matters
The contrast is awkward for the PT when set against the size of its electorate. Lula received more than 64 million votes in the previous election, according to the source. The 890 donations represent less than 0.0014% of that total. That is a small number even for a leader who has the party machine, the labor unions and the government on his side.
The gap points to different kinds of mobilization. On one side is a base that organizes itself spontaneously and pays to defend its leader. On the other is a party base that, when asked for a symbolic contribution, did not respond.
What could come next
Both camps are likely to use the comparison. The right will present the numbers as proof of its strength on the streets and on social media. The PT will have to explain why an appeal of R$ 13 gained so little traction. With the election race on the horizon, the ability to finance a campaign through small donations becomes a political asset, and the distance between the two fundraisers is now on the table.
VDD Analysis
Votes are cast at the ballot box, but real support is measured when people take money out of their own pockets. The numbers show that the conservative base is willing to mobilize without depending on public funds or party structure, while the PT's fundraiser stayed in the tens of thousands of reais despite the 64 million votes of the past. This is a data point that the left will hardly be able to get around with rhetoric.
