The new round of Desenrola is already producing a political effect that goes beyond the assessment of the Lula government. Datafolha research, released this Friday (22), shows that the debt renegotiation program reached a level of support higher than the president’s approval rating among indebted Brazilians, the initiative’s main target audience.
According to the survey, 68% of people with debt say they believe they will benefit directly from the second edition of the program. Among this same group, only 46% approve of the work of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), while 31% classify the government as excellent or good.
The survey also reveals that the positive perception about the program crosses groups that today demonstrate resistance to the government. Among debt-free Brazilians, 39% say they believe they can also obtain some personal gain from the measure, while 73% see a favorable impact on the economy.
Pressure on income
Desenrola 2.0 was launched by the government on May 4 and will last 90 days. The new stage provides for discounts of up to 90% on bank debts and interest limited to 1.99% per month.
The program allows renegotiation for people with a monthly income of up to five minimum wages, currently R$8,105. So far, according to the government, around R$10 billion in bank debts have been renegotiated.
To make the operation viable, Planalto authorized an investment of up to R$15 billion in the Operations Guarantee Fund (FGO), managed by Banco do Brasil, a mechanism used to protect financial institutions in the event of default in renegotiations.
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Furthermore, workers will be able to use up to 20% of the FGTS balance, or up to R$1,000 — whichever is higher — to pay off or reduce renegotiated debts. The release of this mechanism will only begin on the 25th, weeks after the official launch of the program.
Record debt helps membership
Datafolha data shows that the economic environment continues to put pressure on the budgets of Brazilian families. Today, 47% of respondents say they have some type of debt, including credit cards, financing, overdrafts and loans.
Within this group, 62% report already being in default, with late bills or installments. Debt appears with greater intensity among Brazilians aged 25 to 34, residents of metropolitan regions and evangelicals.
Data from the Central Bank reinforce this scenario. The commitment of families to debt reached 49.9% of income in February, the highest level in the historical series started in 2005. Default reached 5.3% in March.
A Serasa survey also shows that the country has 83.3 million negative people. The largest shares of debt are concentrated in banks, basic bills such as water and energy, finance and services.
Government tries to transform credit into electoral asset
The relaunch of Desenrola is part of a broader government strategy to expand credit circulation, stimulate consumption and improve economic perception on the eve of the 2026 presidential race.
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Behind the scenes at Planalto, assistants assess that programs aimed at immediate financial relief have a greater potential for electoral impact than macroeconomic announcements or more abstract fiscal measures for low-income voters.
The survey shows that 77% of Brazilians believe that the program will have a positive effect on the country’s economy. Of this total, 49% say the impact will be great, while 28% see a moderate improvement.
Datafolha interviewed 2,004 people in 139 municipalities between May 12th and 13th. The margin of error is two percentage points.
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