Poll strengthens Tarcísio's position in dispute with Bolsonaro clan; PCC laundered money in Faria Lima.

The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, candidate of the Centrão and Faria Lima in the 2026 presidential elections, gained strength in the internal dispute of the right with the new AtlasIntel survey, commissioned by Bloomberg and released this Thursday (28).

According to the survey, Freitas would defeat President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by 48,4% to 46,6% of voting intentions, while the Workers' Party candidate led by four points in July. The president's popularity fell to 48% in August, with disapproval reaching 51%.

This should intensify the dispute on the right between the Centrão (center-right bloc) and Faria Lima (a political faction) against the Bolsonaro clan over the candidate who will face President Lula next year. The financial market and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, as well as polls like this one, could decide the matter.

In the second round, Lula would tie with former president Jair Bolsonaro (48,3% to 48,3%), who is ineligible but awaits the vote on his amnesty by Congress, and, within the margin of error, with former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (48,8% to 47,9%). She appears competitive as an alternative for hardcore Bolsonaro supporters against Freitas, who still lacks the endorsement of the White House, despite his "MAGA" hat.

The magazine The Economist, A poll published this Thursday stated that Bolsonaro's trial sets an example for the United States, referring to the fact that Trump was not tried, convicted, and punished for inciting the attack on the Capitol after his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The poll surveyed 6.238 people across Brazil between August 20 and 25. The margin of error is 1 percentage point.

Faria Lima in the crosshairs of the Federal Police.

On Thursday morning, the "Hidden Carbon" operation, conducted by the Federal Police (PF), reached addresses on Faria Lima Avenue to combat the activities of the First Command of the Capital (PCC) among brokerage firms, shell companies, and investment funds, with losses totaling R$ 1,4 billion, according to the Federal Revenue Service.

These funds were used to: purchase real estate, fleets, and refineries; move illicit funds within the financial system; and shield assets obtained through criminal activities, such as drug trafficking. The target states were São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Paraná, and Santa Catarina.

The operation demonstrates that there are issues capable of uniting, even if only temporarily, the opposing sides vying for control of Brazil, such as President Lula and Governor Freitas. The approval of the so-called Public Security Amendment, a priority on the Presidential Palace's agenda, which faces resistance from opposition leaders, is one example.