Weekly Report - 15 May 2014 (WR-14-19)

This week President Dilma Rousseff and her leading rivals for the presidency, Aécio Neves, of the Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira (PSDB) and Eduardo Campos of the Partido Socialista Brasileiro (PSB), have been in the north-east of Brazil, a comparatively poor region that accounts for 27% of the electorate, second only to the south-east (where 43% live). In 2010, Rousseff won 61.6% of the votes in the north-east; a recent poll found that only 52% now intend to vote for her in October. To ensure victory, she needs to shore up her support base in the area.