Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro trade insults in first debate

Brazilian presidential candidates Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro traded insults in their first debate, days before a run-off election, with each accusing the other of dishonesty and corruption, according to a report by Nieuws.nl citing ANP and AFP. [1]

Lula called Bolsonaro “a notorious liar, a criminal” and described him as a “militiaman”. Bolsonaro said he was keeping his distance from Lula “so my wallet isn’t stolen”.

The debate followed a first-round vote in which Bolsonaro received 47 per cent and Lula 45 per cent. Neither won more than half the vote, so a second round was due the following weekend, the report said.

Bolsonaro focused on the cost of living under Lula and accused the president of spending too much on his campaign. Lula argued that Bolsonaro did not understand the lives of working-class people.

The candidates also discussed the record of Flávio Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro, who was president from 2019 to 2022. On healthcare during the Covid pandemic, Flávio Bolsonaro acknowledged shortcomings under his father’s government, saying it had not achieved its best results in that area. He added that the pandemic was new and that nobody knew how to handle it.