From 'clown' to 'corrupt': Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro's insults during Brazil's first presidential debate
Dressed in a suit, though less formally than Lula, Bolsonaro stood behind his rival several times while he spoke to the camera, making gestures of denial.
President and presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro
With more personal attacks than policy proposals, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his rival Flávio Bolsonaro debated for the first time on TV this Sunday, one week before the runoff election in Brazil, with the two candidates tied in the polls.
Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former conservative President Jair Bolsonaro (2019–2022), won the first round with 47% of the vote against 45% for the 80-year-old veteran Lula.
The debate at TV Band's studios in São Paulo, the first since Lula refused to participate before the first round, quickly heated up.
Wearing a tie in the colors of Brazil, the leftist at one point moved away from Bolsonaro to "distance himself from a militiaman," as he put it, alluding to the senator's alleged ties to parapolice groups that control working-class neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro.
Bolsonaro responded that it was better to keep him at a distance because "his wallet might get stolen," and showed a note written on the palm of his hand: "Corrupt."
Lula, who is seeking his fourth non-consecutive term, was imprisoned for corruption before his conviction was overturned on procedural grounds.
"A stubborn liar, a scoundrel," the leftist called him after his opponent referred to First Lady Janja da Silva as a dispensable public expense.
"Brazil is going to retire you," Bolsonaro told him.
Dressed in a suit, though less formally than Lula, Bolsonaro stood behind his rival several times while he spoke to the camera, making gestures of denial.
The corruption allegations
Lula repeatedly demanded explanations regarding an investigation into possible corruption involving Bolsonaro, questions his opponent avoided answering, and called him "clown."
The conservative candidate, for his part, countered by mentioning a case of possible corruption involving "Lulinha," one of Lula's sons.
The debate is structured to allow for rebuttals and counter-rebuttals, though the candidates engaged in little dialogue and opted for remarks tailored for social media clips.
Behind the camera, shouts and applause could be heard from both sides of the audience, and Bolsonaro was even booed for interrupting Lula when it wasn't his turn to speak.
Milei's chainsaw
The president counterattacked by accusing Bolsonaro of planning a "drastic cut" to public spending and asked him if he "borrowed the chainsaw" from Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, where unemployment has risen.
Lula also claimed that "the Bolsonaro family is subservient to U.S. interests," referring to President Donald Trump, an ally of his father, Jair Bolsonaro.
Polls by Datafolha and Quaest published this week show the senator with 51% of the vote compared to 49% for the president.
For the "comeback"
The debate capped off a day of demonstrations in Brazil by both sides.
Dressed in the green and yellow colors of the Brazilian flag, tens of thousands of conservatives gathered at a rally led by Flávio Bolsonaro on Paulista Avenue in São Paulo.
Attendees called for Bolsonaro's "return," referring to the former president, even though he is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for an alleged coup attempt following the 2022 elections.
On the same day, a "rally for democracy" on Copacabana Beach organized by legendary musician Caetano Veloso drew some 56,000 leftists, according to USP.
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