Augusto Cury denies boosting social-media engagement with bots: ‘Let them investigate’

Augusto Cury says the sharp rise in his online following came from voters, not automated accounts. “Let them investigate. We invested around 50,000 reais. There are no bots,” he said during an appearance at Sebrae in Curitiba.

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Let them investigate. We invested around 50,000 reais. There are no bots. In fact, millions of people believe in pacification and are tired of this insane polarization.

The Avante presidential candidate faced questions after political parties cast doubt on the rapid growth of his campaign across digital platforms. Cury said millions of people supported his call for reconciliation and were tired of what he described as extreme polarization.

His support also increased in polling. A BTG/Nexus survey released Monday gave him 11% of first-round voting intentions, nine percentage points higher than the previous poll, when he had 2%.

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What happened was a totally silent revolution after the first debate.

Cury linked the change to the first presidential debate, describing it as a “totally silent revolution.” He also said his campaign had gained about 2 million followers in a movement he called unprecedented. “People are seeing sincerity in our proposals,” he said.

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People are seeing sincerity in our proposals.

The candidate said he received the poll result with humility and remained focused on governing if elected. “The problem is not losing the presidency. The problem is winning the presidency and pacifying this nation,” he said. He added that he was not seeking power or office, and was thinking about Brazil in 2027.

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The problem is not losing the presidency. The problem is winning the presidency and pacifying this nation.