Corruption scandal slashes president’s rating to 3%

Brazilian President, Michel Temer, who is embroiled in a massive corruption scandal, has seen his popularity drop to an abysmal three percent, a poll showed Thursday.
In July, five percent of people surveyed by the Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics said the government was “good” or “very good.”
The number of people who see Temer’s management “bad” or “very bad” has jumped to 77 percent from 70 percent, while 16 percent deem it “acceptable.”
When asked whether they trust Temer, 92 percent said no.
A total of 2,000 residents of 126 Brazilian cities were surveyed September 15-20.
A separate poll by CNT/MDA from September 19 found 3.4 percent support for Temer, the most unpopular Brazilian leader since the 1964-1985 dictatorship.
The latest charges involve Temer’s alleged agreement to pay hush money to keep a jailed politician from testifying and his leadership of a group in Congress that took millions of dollars in bribes from companies seeking state contracts.
Temer already defeated a first charge of bribe-taking when the lower house overwhelmingly voted against a trial in August. Analysts say he now has at least a strong majority to combat the new charges.
However, the scandal has weakened Temer’s ability to pass tough austerity reforms, particularly a tightening of the country’s generous pension system.
It has also made him one of the most hated politicians in the country.