Brazil presidential candidates at loggerheads in the first debate
Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had avoided debating challenger Flávio Bolsonaro but the rightist’s first-round victory put the president on the back foot. Brazil’s presidential candidates traded barbs in the first debate ahead of Sunday’s runoff, with polls showing a technical tie. Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had avoided debating challenger Flávio Bolsonaro — the son of a former president jailed for staging a coup — but the rightist’s first-round victory put the president on the back foot. Though the pair are neck-and-neck, Brazil’s political system has already shifted to the right: Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party is now the biggest in both chambers of Congress and has won several governorships. A Bolsonaro win would also confirm Latin America’s broader rightward turn, giving the Trump administration another key ally as it vies to outmuscle China across the region.
Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had avoided debating challenger Flávio Bolsonaro but the rightist’s first-round victory put the president on the back foot. Brazil’s presidential candidates traded barbs in the first debate ahead of Sunday’s runoff, with polls showing a technical tie. Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had avoided debating challenger Flávio Bolsonaro — the son of a former president jailed for staging a coup — but the rightist’s first-round victory put the president on the back foot.
Though the pair are neck-and-neck, Brazil’s political system has already shifted to the right: Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party is now the biggest in both chambers of Congress and has won several governorships. A Bolsonaro win would also confirm Latin America’s broader rightward turn, giving the Trump administration another key ally as it vies to outmuscle China across the region.