Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro and Lula da Silva attack each other hard in the election campaign. The incumbent is about to “destroy” the country.
Brasilia – Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro and his rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have made serious accusations against each other in a televised debate on the upcoming presidential election. In his opening statement, right-wing extremist Bolsonaro called Lula a “thief” and accused the left-leaning ex-president of having “the most corrupt government in Brazil’s history”.
The Labor Party (PT) politician denied the incumbent’s accusation, stressing that many social reforms had been initiated during his government from 2003 to 2010. Bolsonaro is now in the process of “destroying” the country, Lula said.
TV duel before the presidential election in Brazil: Lula and Bolsonaro attack each other
In the first part of the debate, Lula devoted a long time to protecting the environment – especially the Amazon rainforest, the destruction of which, according to data from the Brazilian space agency INPE, had reached a record level in the first half of the year.
Lula was imprisoned between April 2018 and November 2019 following a conviction on corruption charges. In 2021, however, he regained all political rights after Brazil’s Supreme Court annulled the sentences against him due to the court’s lack of jurisdiction.
Lula repeatedly stressed that his innocence had been proven. Both candidates accused each other of lying. In addition to Bolsonaro and Lula, four more of the 12 presidential candidates took part in the three-hour debate, including ex-Finance Minister Ciro Gomes from the centre-left PDT party and Senator Simone Tebet from the centre-left MDB party.
Before Brazil election: Bolsonaro causes a scandal
Incumbent Bolsonaro caused a scandal in the debate when he responded to a question from journalist Vera Magalhaes with misogynistic comments. In her question, Magalhaes said Bolsonaro had spread misinformation about vaccinations against Covid-19.
Bolsonaro said to her, “Vera, you fall asleep thinking about me, you have a kind of crush.” He accused her of “false accusations” and said: “You are a disgrace to Brazilian journalism.” Den Later allegations of misogyny by another candidate Bolsonaro brushed aside.
Brazil election polls: Lula is clearly ahead
Polls put 76-year-old Lula ahead of Bolsonaro ahead of the first round of elections on October 2nd. According to a survey by the opinion research institute Datafolha, the ex-president can count on 47 percent of the votes, while the 67-year-old incumbent can only count on 32 percent. If none of the candidates wins more than 50 percent of the votes in the first ballot, a runoff will be held on October 30. (mse/AFP)
