Key Takeaways
- Bolsonaro and Lula sparred over living costs and corruption during the final debate.
- Both candidates exchanged personal attacks and focused on campaign proposals.
- The debate took place on Friday, with the runoff election scheduled for Sunday.
In the final presidential debate before Sunday’s runoff election, Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva engaged in a heated exchange over living costs and corruption, with both candidates seeking to win over undecided voters.
Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, led Lula in the first round of the election earlier this month, but recent opinion polls have shown the two candidates to be about even, with the gap between them narrowing.
The debate, hosted by Globo, Brazil’s most-watched TV channel, focused on themes such as the cost of living, welfare, and security, while both candidates traded allegations of corruption.
Lula, who is seeking his fourth term after winning back the presidency in 2022, defended his government’s above-inflation minimum wage increases and highlighted his administration’s efforts to help millions of Brazilians escape hunger.
Bolsonaro criticized Lula’s administration, saying food prices for Brazilians rose during Lula’s time in office and questioning a tax reform approved by the current government, which he projected would raise the tax burden on consumers.
The two candidates mostly limited their discussion to pre-established themes in the first few segments of the debate, toning down the personal attacks that marked the only previous debate in the campaign between the two.
At one point, Bolsonaro apologized to Lula after saying the president gives to Brazilians with one hand but “takes away with nine fingers.” Lula, who lost his left little finger in an accident while working as a lathe operator, demanded a retraction.
Bolsonaro apologized but added, “Will you apologize to Brazilians suffering from insecurity … in debt?” The discussion heated up in the last minutes of the debate, with both candidates seeking to link each other to the fraud involving lender Banco Master.
The debate was one of the campaign’s final events, as Brazilian electoral law bars the candidates from broadcasting radio and TV campaign advertising starting on Saturday. They can still hold rallies until the final hours of the day.
Lula, if I offended you by calling you ‘nine fingers,’ then I sincerely apologize, I sincerely apologize.
Flavio Bolsonaro, Brazilian Senator
I will not accept some rich guy, with a highly questionable political practice, calling me ‘nine fingers’
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil
