Presidential Hopeful Renan Santos Uses Remote Amazon Towns as Campaign Launchpad

Presidential hopeful Renan Santos has been utilizing isolated towns as a testing ground for his pre-campaign strategy, seeking to connect with voters in remote corners of Brazil. During a recent visit to Melgaço, a municipality in the Marajó archipelago known for its extremely low Human Development Index, Santos met with residents like Cilene Malheiro, who lives in a stilt house with her large family.

Malheiro, 46, expressed her desire for basic necessities, stating, "Water and the hospital, right, to have surgery, because there isn't one here." She described relying on river water for all purposes and frequent bouts of diarrhea among her children, with one needing to travel for medical consultation. Melgaço, identified in a 2013 Atlas of Human Development as having the lowest municipal HDI in Brazil based on 2010 census data, lacks a sewage system, with waste often discharged into the local waters.

Santos's journey to Melgaço involved a lengthy boat trip from Belém, followed by a lancha ride. His team used motorcycle taxis to reach Malheiro's stilt home. The candidate, who alternates between campaign talk and content production, uses these encounters to generate material for his social media platforms. His team meticulously researches routes, identifies potential interviewees, and coordinates local schedules, often leveraging regional news profiles and influencers.

According to his team, Santos has visited 97 municipalities across seven states since late last year, aiming to engage with regions far from the capital cities. The entourage of ten people, including production, communication, and security staff, incurs significant costs, estimated between R$25,000 and R$30,000 per week, primarily for travel. This intensive approach to grassroots engagement underscores a strategy to build a national profile by showcasing the realities of Brazil's less visible communities.

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Eu achei ótimo, né? Porque aqui na minha casa tinha vindo candidato a prefeito e vereador. Candidato a presidente nunca tinha vindo.