Presidential in Brazil | Stormy start to the debate between Lula and Bolsonaro

(Rio de Janeiro) “Liar, former prisoner, traitor to the country! “: far-right president Jair Bolsonaro violently attacked left-wing ex-head of state Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the start of the last televised presidential debate on Thursday evening, three days before the first round.

“The people will send you home on October 2! “, retorted Lula, to whom the polls predict a possible victory as early as Sunday.

This debate, which is attended by tens of millions of viewers on TV Globo, the most watched channel in the country, gave from the first minutes the opportunity for hateful exchanges between the two favorites of the most polarized election for decades.

From his first speech, Jair Bolsonaro, 67, accused Lula, 76, of having been the leader of a gang of “thieves”, when the left ruled the country from 2003 to 2016.

An allusion to the Petrobras corruption scandal, for which the former trade unionist was imprisoned for 18 months in 2018 and 2019, before seeing his convictions overturned for formal defect by the Supreme Court.

The far-right president went off his feet several times and had to be called to order by the mediator.

” To look at oneself in the mirror ”

Lula in turn called him a “liar” and also accused him of corruption. “How can you look in the mirror, when we see what happened under your government? “, he said, citing in particular a scandal at the Ministry of Education and suspicions of embezzlement of Flavio Bolsonaro, eldest son of the president.

According to the latest opinion poll published by the Datafolha institute shortly before this third televised debate, Lula retains a comfortable advantage over Bolsonaro, with 48% of the voting intentions against 34%.

To be elected for a third term on Sunday, the icon of the left must obtain more than 50% of the votes cast (without nulls or whites).

According to Datafolha, he is precisely credited with 50% of the votes cast, within the poll’s margin of error (plus or minus 2 percentage points).

Each camp hoped to be able to convince the last undecided during the high mass of TV Globo.

“It’s the debate that can change things,” a source from Bolsonaro’s campaign told AFP.

“Useful vote”

According to Datafolha, 14% of Brazilians have not yet decided who to vote for on Sunday.

Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT) is campaigning among Brazilians for the “useful vote” in order to give their voice to the old lion of Brazilian politics in this first round.

A source from the PT campaign assured AFP, on condition of anonymity, that the team was “confident, while ready for a second round”.

Beyond the two big favorites, the debate sees a total of seven candidates compete, out of the 11 in the running.

Center-left candidate Ciro Gomes, third in the polls and credited with 6% of voting intentions, was under pressure to step down to facilitate Lula’s victory. But Mr. Gomes assured that he would go all the way.

Right-wing senator Simone Tebet, in fourth position in the polls and whose performance during the first debate had been hailed, collects 5% of voting intentions and also represents a pool of potential voters.

During the two previous televised debates, President Bolsonaro had suffered a shower of criticism after his sexist attacks on one of the journalists who interviewed him. New misogynistic remarks could cost him dearly three days before the election, while the female electorate is fleeing him.

But he got strong support on Thursday: Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar, who openly declared his preference in a video posted on TikTok.

After a performance deemed disappointing by commentators during the first debate – he had notably failed to defend himself against accusations of corruption launched by Jair Bolsonaro – Lula had not taken part in the second debate, citing an already very busy schedule.

The electoral campaign on radio and television must end this Thursday at midnight, but rallies and the distribution of leaflets will remain authorized until Saturday evening, the day before the election.