Lula's Rivals Stoke Fear Over Crime Before Key Mayoral Elections.

OFFENSES against property; LAW enforcement officials; CRIME statistics; POLITICAL consultants; FEAR of crime; ROUSSEFF, Dilma, 1947-; LULA, 1945-; BOLSONARO, Jair, 1955-; PERSONAL property

Mayoral elections in Brazil are being overshadowed by concerns about crime, with nearly 60% of Brazilians citing crime as their top concern in a recent poll. Conservative candidates are capitalizing on these fears, highlighting the persistently high crime rates in the country. Right-wing candidate Pablo Marcal has even touted his links to El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, known for his tough-on-crime policies. However, Brazil's number of murders has actually declined in recent years, although other forms of crime remain common. Both left-wing and right-wing candidates are addressing the issue of crime in their campaigns, indicating its importance in the upcoming 2026 presidential race. [Extracted from the article]

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