South Americaupdated 42m ago2 min read
Lula And Flavio Bolsonaro Trade Corruption Accusations In Brazil Run-Off Debate
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Lula and Bolsonaro traded insults and accused each other of corruption in the run-off debate. The debate occurred about a week before Brazil's October 25 runoff.
Debate turns personal
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro traded personal attacks in their first presidential run-off debate on Sunday, with both men calling each other “liar” multiple times and accusing each other of corruption. Lula said Bolsonaro was “a habitual liar, a thug,” and he physically distanced himself on stage from the candidate he called a “militiaman,” alluding to alleged ties to Rio de Janeiro’s paramilitary groups. Bolsonaro, who paced behind Lula and said it was better to keep Lula at a distance “because my wallet could be stolen,” also jabbed at Lula’s time jailed for corruption on charges later annulled.
The debate also focused on public security and healthcare, and Lula demanded an explanation about a corruption investigation involving the older Bolsonaro, a question his opponent dodged. Flavio Bolsonaro led the first-round election with 47 percent to Lula’s 45 percent, and polls suggested a close race for the October 25 run-off with a second debate scheduled for October 23.
Supporters and investigations
Supporters of each candidate gathered en masse in public ahead of the debate, with pro-Bolsonaro crowds wearing Brazil’s national colours of yellow, green and blue packing Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo.
Lula supporters wearing red filled Brasilia’s plaza of government buildings, and Lula supporter Sonia Maria said, “We need the current government to remain in power. If another government comes in, we’re, excuse my language, screwed,” while Bolsonaro backer Vera de Sousa said, “I don’t like bandits. Out with Lula!”
Brazil’s federal police asked the country’s Supreme Court to open an investigation into Bolsonaro over a money laundering accusation involving a lawyer close to him.
Lula spent 580 days in prison in 2018 and 2019 on a corruption conviction that was later annulled over flaws in the investigation and legal proceedings.
The debate came as Bolsonaro was under house arrest while serving a 27-year sentence connected to efforts to overturn the 2022 election, which he lost to Lula.
What is at stake
Both candidates used the debate to frame the election’s stakes, with Bolsonaro hammering away at cost of living and crime and accusing Lula of “reckless spending to get re-elected.” Lula countered by asking Bolsonaro about plans to emulate Argentina’s right-wing president Javier Milei’s drastic public spending cuts, which Lula said led to higher unemployment and cuts to benefits. Bolsonaro dodged the question and pivoted to other topics, including jabs about Lula’s record and claims about keeping Lula at a distance “because my wallet could be stolen.”
The campaign’s final stretch also included a dispute over Meta, as Lula’s coalition said his Instagram account and posts were restricted and Meta denied any political bias by saying, “Any suggestion that Meta favors one side is false,”. AP reported that the debate was broadcast on Band TV and lasted about two hours, and it said a second debate was scheduled for Friday on TV Globo, with the winner set to take charge of Latin America’s biggest economy and a population of 214 million.