Renan Santos, one of the founders of the Brazilian Free Brazil Movement (MBL) and a pre-candidate for the presidency with the Missão party, is set to meet next week with clients of Genial Investimentos in São Paulo. The conversation, scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, at the company’s headquarters on the country’s main financial avenue, reflects Santos’ effort to build closer ties with the market and position himself as a serious contender in the 2026 presidential race. Before Santos, Minas Gerais governor Romeu Zema also took part in a similar event at the same venue.
Although Santos remains a low-profile name in traditional opinion polls, with support around 2% to 3%, he is increasingly seen as the strongest representative of a potential “third way” alternative in Brazil’s polarized political landscape. His candidacy has also gained attention on Polymarket, where he ranks third and is assigned a 16% chance of victory.
Santos’ digital presence appears to be one of his main strengths. In the latest edition of the Datrix Index of Presidential Candidates, which measures online performance, he ranks third with 19.39 points, just behind Flávio Bolsonaro, who has 21.78 points. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leads the ranking with 24.45 points, while Zema and Goiás governor Ronaldo Caiado occupy fourth and fifth place, with 12.19 and 11.63 points, respectively.
The combination of online engagement, market-facing events, and his appeal as a centrist alternative is helping Santos stand out despite limited traction in conventional surveys.
