Brazil Presidential Debate Canceled as Lula, Bolsonaro Skip Event

Brazil’s final major presidential debate was canceled on Thursday after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the two leading candidates in the polls, decided not to participate just days before Sunday’s election.

Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, had initially planned to attend the TV Globo debate. However, he withdrew hours before the event after Lula, who has avoided all presidential debates this year, confirmed he would not participate.

“My only opponent in this campaign is Lula,” Flavio said earlier this week, adding that the president was the candidate he wanted to debate.

TV Globo, Brazil’s largest free-to-air broadcaster, said it canceled the event after last-minute court rulings changed previously agreed rules, including restrictions governing references to candidates who were absent.

The cancellation leaves voters without a final televised policy clash before the first-round election. Lula has consistently led major opinion polls and has avoided debates featuring a field largely composed of right-of-center rivals who could focus their criticism on his administration.

Lula defended his decision in July, saying he saw little value in participating if debates became dominated by personal attacks rather than issues useful to voters. Rivals, however, have accused the president of avoiding scrutiny of his record.

Four other candidates — author and psychiatrist Augusto Cury, former Goias Governor Ronaldo Caiado, former Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema and Renan Santos — had been expected to participate.

Two other television networks also canceled planned debates after Lula and Bolsonaro declined to attend. Lula, seeking an unprecedented fourth non-consecutive presidential term, was instead scheduled to appear on a podcast at the same time as TV Globo’s planned debate.

The canceled event comes as polling indicates a close race. A Datafolha survey released Thursday showed Lula with 42% support in the first round, compared with 38% for Bolsonaro. In a hypothetical runoff, Lula received 48% against Bolsonaro’s 45%, keeping attention firmly on the possibility of a second-round contest.