Bill to Carry Firearms is Rejected by Seventy Percent of Brazilians Polled

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro’s bill to ease restrictions on the carrying of weapons is disapproved by 70 percent of the population and approved by 28 percent, according to a Datafolha survey released by “Folha de S.Paulo” on Thursday, July 11th. Among those interviewed, two percent said they did not know.

The survey interviewed 2,086 people aged sixteen and over in 130 Brazilian municipalities on July 4th and 5th. The maximum error margin is two percentage points up or down within the 95 percent confidence level.

Interviews were conducted just over a week after Bolsonaro revoked decrees on weapons signed in the first months of the year and edited three more with similar content. He additionally submitted a draft law on the subject to Congress.

Research Findings on the Bill to Carry Firearms:

By 2018 presidential electoral preference:

• Bolsonaro voters: fifty percent are against, 47 percent are in favor, one percent are indifferent, and two percent do not know.
• Fernando Haddad voters: 92 percent are against, seven percent are in favor, and one percent do not know.
• Blank vote, void vote or none: 84 percent against, thirteen percent in favor and three percent do not know.

By sex:

• Women: 78 percent against, 20 percent for and two percent do not know.
• Men: 61 percent against, 37 percent for, one percent indifferent and one percent do not know.

Possession of Firearms

Datafolha also asked Brazilians about gun possession. In all, 66 percent said they agree with the statement “gun possession should be prohibited as it poses a threat to other people’s lives.” In April, 64 percent agreed with this.

Regarding the statement “owning a legalized gun should be a citizen’s right to defend himself”, the concurrence rate dropped from 34 percent to 31 percent between April and July.