ブラジル大統領の支持率、過去最高に　コロナ対応めぐり物議醸すも

【リオデジャネイロＡＦＰ＝時事】ブラジルのジャイル・ボルソナロ大統領（65）の支持率が14日、世論調査で過去最高を記録した。同国では、新型コロナウイルスのパンデミック（世界的な大流行）により危機的な状況に陥っているものの、景気刺激策による補助金を受け取った人々の間での人気が支持率を押し上げた。（写真はジャイル・ボルソナロ氏）
　大手調査会社ダッタフォーリャの発表によると、同大統領の支持率は６月から５ポイント上がって３７％となり、一方の不支持率は１０ポイント下がって３４％だった。
　同社の世論調査でボルソナロ大統領の支持率が不支持率を上回るのは、就任から４か月を経た２０１９年４月以来。
　ブラジルでは新型ウイルスの感染拡大により、米国に次いで世界で２番目に多い１０万５０００人超が死亡した上に、第２四半期には８９０万人の雇用が失われたにもかかわらず、支持率は堅調だった。
　「熱帯のトランプ」と呼ばれる極右のボルソナロ大統領は、歯に衣（きぬ）着せぬ物言いで知られ、人種差別や性差別主義者、同性愛嫌悪、独裁的などとの批判を浴びるものの、支持層からは同大統領のミドルネームでもある「メシア（救世主）」として熱狂的な支持を受けている。
　同大統領は就任以来、数々の議論を常に巻き起こし続け、最近では新型ウイルスへの対応が物議を醸していた。
　先月には同大統領自身が感染し、３週間の隔離生活を送ったものの、新型コロナウイルス感染症（ＣＯＶＩＤ-１９）を過小評価し続けている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/08/17-13:07）

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro received the best approval rating of his term Friday, boosted by his popularity among recipients of coronavirus stimulus payments despite the carnage the pandemic has caused in Brazil.
The far-right leader's approval rating surged five points from June, to 37 percent, while his disapproval rating plunged 10 points to 34 percent, the leading polling firm Datafolha reported.
It was the first time since April 2019, four months into his presidency, that Bolsonaro's approval rating outstripped his disapproval rating in the Datafolha poll.
The strong numbers came despite the fact that the new coronavirus has killed more than 105,000 people in Brazil -- the second-highest death toll worldwide, after the United States -- and fueled the loss of 8.9 million jobs last quarter.
Known as the Tropical Trump, Bolsonaro is a divisive figure, condemned as racist, sexist, homophobic and dictatorial by his critics, but adored as a Messiah -- his middle name -- by his base.
His presidency has been marked by a constant string of controversies, most recently his handling of the pandemic.
Even after catching the virus himself last month, putting him in quarantine for three weeks, Bolsonaro, 65, continues to downplay COVID-19.
He regularly rails against economically painful lockdown measures. Instead, he trumpets the unproven drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment.
Other recent polls have also found Bolsonaro has rebounding popularity and a strong chance at re-election in 2022.
Datafolha found he was performing well among poor Brazilians who have been receiving monthly stimulus payments of 600 reals (about $110) to offset the economic pain of the pandemic.
The former army captain had an approval rating of 42 percent among stimulus payment recipients.
In Brazil's poorest region, the northeast, typically a bastion for the left-wing opposition, his disapproval rating fell 17 points from June, to 35 percent. His approval rating there rose six points, to 33 percent.
Datafolha carried out the poll on August 11 and 12 via phone interviews with 2,065 respondents.
The margin of error was two percentage points.