On May 16, Inter-American Dialogue's Latin America Advisor published comments by Melvyn Levitsky, former U.S. Ambassador to Brazil, describing the challenges President Dilma will face in her reelection bid. "Growth is down, inflation and unemployment are up, and corruption in the Workers' Party continues to make headlines," says Levitsky. "It's no wonder that President Dilma's standing has suffered."
However, while Dilma's opponents have drawn strength from her decline in popularity, says Levitsky, she's still well ahead of them in the polls, even in the midst of pre-World Cup strikes and protests. "Neither [opponent] has reached half her popularity in percentage terms according to the polls," says Levitsky.
Melvyn Levitsky is a retired career minister in the U.S. Foreign Service and former U.S. Ambassador to Brazil. He is a professor of international policy and practice at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and a senior fellow of the school's International Policy Center.