Brazil’s Bolsonaro and Lula debate in the first round of the election
- They were having their first head-to-head discussion.
- It’s amid the second and decisive round of Brazil’s presidential election.
- Jair Bolsonaro and left-wing challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hurled insults and barbs.
In their first head-to-head discussion during the second and decisive round of Brazil’s presidential election, far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and left-wing challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hurled insults and barbs.
In a two-hour televised discussion on Sunday night, Lula referred to Bolsonaro as a “little tyrant” and the “king of fake news,” while Bolsonaro accused Lula of lying, corruption, and a “disgraceful” record.
On October 30, voters will choose the next president of Brazil, with 76-year-old charismatic but disgraced former president Lula leading Bolsonaro in the polls.
Lula criticized Bolsonaro for how he handled the COVID-19 epidemic, criticizing his rejection of vaccines and use of questionable drugs like hydroxychloroquine.
The former metalworker complained to the president, “Your negligence caused 680,000 people to die, when more than half could have been saved.”
Later, Bolsonaro went on the attack and singled out Lula for corruption scandals that occurred when his Workers Party was in power for 14 years in Brazil. In a massive anti-corruption campaign, dozens of business and political leaders—including Lula—were detained. Lula served time in prison after being found guilty of bribery, a charge that was eventually reversed by the Supreme Court of Brazil.
“Your past is scandalous… The 67-year-old former army captain scolded Lula, saying, “You did nothing for Brazil but line your coffers and the pockets of your pals with public funds.
In the first round of voting, Bolsonaro received 43% of the vote to Lula’s 48%, considerably above expectations based on polls.
His surprise good showing paved the way for a contentious run-off in which both candidates stepped up their rhetoric and launched vicious personal assaults in television ads.
The election is “nail-biting,” according to Monica Yanakiew, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Brazil. Although Lula is still the favorite, both contenders are vying for every vote.
With the exception of one tense pause that Bolsonaro finally broke by placing his hand on Lula’s shoulder while grinning, the candidates regularly moved around the stage and made eye contact with the cameras thanks to the debate’s loose rules.
Much more time was spent on personal insults than in-depth discussion, as it has been throughout the majority of the campaign.
Political analyst Christopher Mendonca stated to the AFP news agency that “policy proposals have lost their central role and allegations have taken their place.”
According to surveys by pollster Datafolha, Lula still has a lead of about 5 percentage points, and Bolsonaro’s team was hoping that Sunday’s debate would help them close that gap.
In the debate, neither candidate provided specifics on how they planned to acquire the funds necessary to expand a more generous welfare program, as both have promised to do without violating federal spending laws.
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