In short
- Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party won 47% of the vote in Brazil’s first round on 4 October, against 45.2% for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ Party.
- Jair Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2018 to 2022, was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for plotting to overthrow Lula after the 2022 election.
- The televised debate was the first of two before the run-off; the second is planned for Friday, two days before polls open.
- Yuri Sanches of the polling firm AtlasIntel said no policies were discussed in the debate and there were no rational arguments.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro traded personal attacks rather than debating policy in a televised confrontation one week before the run-off presidential election, with polls showing the two candidates level. The debate was the first of two scheduled before voters return to the polls.
Flávio Bolsonaro, standing for the Liberal Party, won 47% of the vote in the first round on 4 October, against 45.2% for Lula of the Workers’ Party (PT). Neither reached the 50% of valid votes needed to avoid a second round.
What did the candidates say to each other?
In one exchange, Flávio Bolsonaro invited Lula to come and stand beside him. Lula refused, saying he wanted to keep his “distance from the Bolsonaro family” and “the militia”, a reference to alleged links between the senator and paramilitary vigilante groups that Bolsonaro has dismissed as fake news. Bolsonaro replied: “On second thoughts, maybe it’s better to keep my distance so that my wallet isn’t stolen.”
Bolsonaro, who campaigns on an iron-fist approach to crime, also accused the Workers’ Party of corruption, holding up a palm on which he had written “CORRUPTO”, Portuguese for corrupt, and pointing to the letters PT inside the word. He alleged without providing evidence that “the majority of convicts vote for Lula”. Lula replied with a thinly veiled reference to Flávio’s father, Jair Bolsonaro: “I wish it was 100%, even your father”.
Bolsonaro also challenged Lula to explain why crime rates had risen during his four years in power. Crime and sentencing are recurring themes in the region: in Mexico, three men were jailed for 158 years each over the murders of surfers.
What did analysts make of the debate?
Yuri Sanches of the polling firm AtlasIntel said no policies were discussed and there were no rational arguments. “The independent voter, who is sometimes against Bolsonaro and sometimes against the Workers’ Party [of Lula], came out of it with a very negative impression,” he said.
Lucas Aragão of the political analysis firm Arko Advice said Bolsonaro had appeared calmer and seemed to have managed to “get under Lula’s skin”. Rafael Cortez of the consultancy Tendências Consultoria argued that Lula had scored a point by offering to open his financial and phone records, and those of his family, to judicial scrutiny and challenging his rival to do the same before the vote.
Analysts warned the aggressive tone could push the abstention rate higher. Many observers criticised the format, described as chaotic at times, with each candidate pacing around the television studio while the other was speaking.
Why is Flávio Bolsonaro the candidate?
Flávio Bolsonaro is running after his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2018 to 2022, was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for plotting to overthrow Lula after losing the 2022 election.
What happens next?
The second debate is planned for Friday, two days before polls open. Since Brazil’s return to democracy in 1988, no candidate who lost the first round has gone on to win the run-off, and Lula has told supporters he will “win in extra time”. In Congress, the Chamber of Deputies has approved a provisional measure granting autonomy to the national data agency.
Frequently asked questions
Who is running in Brazil’s presidential run-off?
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ Party and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party. In the first round on 4 October, Bolsonaro took 47% and Lula 45.2%, leaving both short of the 50% needed to win outright.
When is the next debate and the run-off vote?
A second debate is planned for Friday, two days before polls open for the run-off. The first debate took place one week before the vote.
What was discussed in the debate?
Analysts said the exchange was dominated by personal attacks rather than policy, covering corruption allegations, alleged militia links and crime rates. Yuri Sanches of AtlasIntel said there were no rational arguments.
Why is Flávio Bolsonaro running instead of Jair Bolsonaro?
Jair Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2018 to 2022, was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for plotting to overthrow Lula after the 2022 election. His son Flávio is standing for the Liberal Party in his place.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
