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Discontent with Brazil government rises: Poll
June 21, 2015, 6:02 am

Brazil's Finance Minister Joaquim Levy (C) and Minister of Planning, Budget and Management  Nelson Barbosa(L) participate in a press conference at the Palace of the Plateau, in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, on Nov. 27, 2014 [Xinhua]

Brazil’s Finance Minister Joaquim Levy (C) and Minister of Planning, Budget and Management Nelson Barbosa(L) participate in a press conference at the Palace of the Plateau, in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, on Nov. 27, 2014 [Xinhua]

A new poll carried out this week showed the Brazilian government’s approval ratings suffering a dent as unemployment climbed to a near four-year high last month.

A looming recession could worsen as President Dilma Rousseff reins in spending.

65 per cent of Brazilians polled by Datafolha this week said the government’s work was “bad” or “very bad”.

Datafolha polled 2840 people in 174 cities.

In recent weeks, President Dilma Rousseff’s authority has been undermined by protests over a corruption scandal at state oil giant Petrobras, and compounded by the open revolt of many of her former political allies.

Since her re-election in October, left-leaning Rousseff has cut spending and raised taxes to regain investors’ trust.

The Brazilian central bank’s IBC-Br economic activity index , a gauge of farming, industry and services activity, fell 0.84 percent, in April.

Rousseff won a second four-year mandate in October’s general elections. Election data showed that most of Rousseff’s votes came from the poorer north and northeast, where social programs begun by former-President Lula and continued by Rousseff, both of the Workers’ Party (PT), have lifted millions from poverty.

Source: Agencies