Brazil's Lula, Flávio Bolsonaro trade insults in heated first debate before runoff
A week before Brazil's presidential runoff, President Lula and challenger Flávio Bolsonaro accused each other of lying and corruption in their first televised debate. Polls show a very close race.
Archive image · Photo: BrunoGuedes1 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro faced off for the first time Sunday night in a roughly two-hour debate on Band TV in Sao Paulo. The exchanges, as reported by The Associated Press and Al Jazeera, focused on accusations rather than plans. According to Al Jazeera, Lula called his rival “a habitual liar,” while Bolsonaro called the president a “clown.” The tensest moment came when Lula challenged Bolsonaro to open both men’s personal finances to scrutiny.
Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, narrowly won the Oct. 4 first round 47% to 45%. The runoff is set for Oct. 25, with a second debate scheduled for Friday on TV Globo. Recent polls suggest a very close race. Bolsonaro said the economy would improve by removing Lula from office and fighting corruption, while Lula, 80, defended his record and welfare programs. Bolsonaro also acknowledged shortcomings in his father’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal police have asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into Flávio Bolsonaro over a money laundering accusation involving a lawyer close to him. He denies wrongdoing. His father is serving a 27-year sentence for a coup attempt. The vote carries international weight: Bolsonaro is allied with U.S. President Donald Trump, while Lula favors more distance from Washington and closer ties with China.