Lula and Bolsonaro spar in Brazil’s fiery first presidential run-off debate

Published On 19 Oct 202619 Oct 2026Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro fired off a barrage of personal attacks during their first debate a week before a tight presidential run-off.In a chaotic exchange on Sunday, the two men called each other “liar” multiple times, accused each other of corruption, dragged up various scandals, and clashed on issues from public security to healthcare.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Brazilian Supreme Court judge issues arrest warrant for Eduardo Bolsonarolist 2 of 3Meta employees say Lula’s accounts restricted in Brazil election: Reportlist 3 of 3Brazil’s Amazon deforestation hits lowest level on recordend of listLula said Bolsonaro was “a habitual liar” and a “thug”, and physically distanced himself on stage from the candidate he called a “militiaman”, alluding to his alleged ties to Rio de Janeiro’s paramilitary groups.Bolsonaro, who led the first-round election with 47 percent to Lula’s 45 percent, said it was better to keep Lula at a distance “because my wallet could be stolen”.Throughout the debate, Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, paced behind Lula, shaking...