Brazil’s presidential candidates, incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, faced each other in the last electoral debate before Sunday’s runoff election, where they exchanged accusations and discussed the minimum wage, corruption and abortion.
The current president has been in charge of opening the debate, although for Brazilian analysts Lula is the one who has dominated the first part by asking Bolsonaro about his management of the pandemic, as well as for his decisions at the head of foreign and environmental policy.
Among other issues, Lula has reproached his opponent that the minimum wage is lower than when he came to office and recalled that during his government (2003-2010) it was raised by 74 percent. Bolsonaro has promised to raise this amount to 1,400 reais, from the current 1,200 (265 and 227 euros, respectively), although he did not foresee it in the budget, according to ‘O Globo’.
Bolsonaro’s strategy, on the other hand, has been to try to link the Workers’ Party, for which Lula is running, «with the color red» and has assured that the former president «supported land invasion actions».
In addition, the president branded his opponent as an «abortionist», after he recalled a speech from decades ago in which Lula defended the use of the morning-after pill. However, the PT candidate has claimed to be against abortion as well as «his women». «I respect life, because I have five children, eight grandchildren and a great-granddaughter» he argued.
The arms aspect has also made its way into the debate. Bolsonaro has defended his policy in this matter and has accused Lula of meeting with «drug bosses» for meeting with community leaders of the Aleman Complex, a group of favelas in the northern part of the capital.
The former president assured that there he met with «wonderful» and hard-working people and that they (PT) «have made the biggest disarmament campaign in the country because they preferred to opt for books».
Both have taken advantage of the final minute to ask for votes for their profile, occasion in which Bolsonaro has called to vote for the guarantee of the most conservative values while Lula has done it for the reestablishment of «harmony» in the country.
BOLSONARO WILL RECOGNIZE ELECTION RESULT In a statement following the debate, Bolsonaro has affirmed that he will recognize the result of the polls. When asked if he would recognize the result of the elections he answered «sustento», and when cross-examined he assured that «whoever has the most votes gets it».
During the last weeks the President had sowed doubts as to whether he would accept as legitimate results which were not in his favor, after questioning the guarantees of the electoral system and accusing the Superior Electoral Tribunal of withdrawing part of the propaganda of his candidacy.
The polls for the second round of the elections, which will take place this Sunday, point to a victory of Lula da Silva, who would obtain 53 percent of the valid votes, against 47 percent of the current president.
If Lula wins the elections he will have to deal with one of the most conservative congresses in Brazil’s democratic history. Bolsonarist forces dominate the House, with Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL) having the largest presence. A major challenge for the former union leader, who will have to reach agreements to fulfill electoral promises such as increasing social programs and greater environmental controls.
