Presidential in Brazil: a final explosive debate between Lula and Bolsonaro
Lula (g) and Jair Bolsonaro during the first presidential debate on October 16 REUTERS - MARIANA GREIF
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Two days before the second round of the presidential election in Brazil, Lula and Jair Bolsonaro clashed in a final televised debate this Friday evening, in the form of a clash of the titans, where the two candidates went blow for blow .
Advertising
Read more
With our correspondent in São Paulo
,
Martin Bernard
The two candidates called each other liars at least twenty times during the first part of the debate broadcast on TV Globo, the most watched channel in the country.
The animosity lasted during the two and a half hours of exchanges.
Lula, blue suit, red tie, sometimes wore glasses, which gave him a professorial air, especially when he talked about foreign policy.
"You isolated Brazil. Brazil today is more isolated than Cuba. Under your government, what has Brazil become? Brazil has become a pariah"
Jair Bolsonaro counterattacked on corruption and accused Lula of links with drug traffickers.
Above all, he highlighted his economic record: “
We are ready to take off to make this Brazil a great nation in terms of the economy.
We have a Parliament which is perfectly in tune with us.
Rather centre-right.
Everything is ready for take off.
Our growth is going to be higher than that of China
”.
►
To read also: Brazil: Lula and Bolsonaro surrender blow for blow during the first televised debate
astonishing slip
After adopting an aggressive and condescending tone, the re-election candidate nevertheless concluded the debate with an astonishing slip of the tongue.
“
Thank you very much, my God.
And if that is your will, I will be ready to carry out a new mandate of federal deputy
”
,
before recovering: “
of president of the Republic
”.
►
To read also:
Understanding Bolsonarism and its roots in Brazil
Jair Bolsonaro
was a deputy for 28 years, before winning the presidential election in 2018. It is not sure that his performance in the last debate will allow him to win a new presidential term.
Lula, 77
, slightly increased (from four to six points) his lead in the latest poll by the benchmark institute Datafolha, published Thursday, with 53% of the voting intentions expressed, against 47% for the far-right president. .
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Brazil
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Jair Bolsonaro