00:00Just one week before Brazil decides its next president, the battle for power has turned
00:06deeply personal.
00:08President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro have traded accusations
00:16of lying, corruption, and political misconduct in their first presidential runoff debate.
00:22And with the October 25th vote approaching, the stakes could hardly be higher.
00:27The debate took place on Sunday, October 18th, in Sao Paulo, with both candidates looking
00:34to win over voters in a closely contested election.
00:38But instead of focusing only on policy, the two men repeatedly attacked each other's
00:44credibility, bringing old scandals and family controversies into the spotlight.
00:49Lula, 80, who is seeking a fourth presidential term, called his opponent a habitual liar and
00:56a thug.
00:57He also accused Bolsonaro of having links to paramilitary groups, allegations that Bolsonaro
01:03has not been shown to have accepted as true.
01:06Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, responded with insults of his own, calling Lula a clown and accusing
01:13the president's family of corruption.
01:16At one point, Bolsonaro suggested he should keep his distance from Lula, joking that his
01:22wallet could otherwise be stolen.
01:24But behind the personal attacks, there is a serious political contest.
01:29Flavio Bolsonaro finished first in the opening round of voting on October 4th, securing 47%
01:36of the vote, compared with Lula's 45%.
01:40Now both candidates are fighting to secure the support they need before the final round.
01:45And the issues shaping that contest are familiar to millions of Brazilians.
01:51The cost of living, crime, public health care, and government spending.
01:56Bolsonaro accused Lula of reckless spending, arguing that the president was announcing social
02:02measures to improve his chances of re-election.
02:05Lula responded by challenging Bolsonaro on economic policy, asking whether he would follow
02:11the deep public spending cuts pursued by Argentina's president, Javier Malé.
02:17Bolsonaro avoided giving a direct answer during the exchanges.
02:21Health care also became a point of confrontation.
02:25Lula portrayed his rival as disconnected from the everyday lives of working-class Brazilians,
02:31claiming Bolsonaro had never used the country's public health care system or even travelled by bus.
02:37Meanwhile, Bolsonaro acknowledged that his father's government had not achieved its best results
02:43in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, offering what he described as a mea culpa.
02:49The family connection is particularly significant because Flavio's father, former president Jair Bolsonaro,
02:57is serving a 27-year prison sentence linked to efforts to overturn the 2022 election, which
03:04he lost to Lula.
03:06Flavio also faces separate scrutiny.
03:09On Sunday, Brazil's federal police asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into
03:14him over a money laundering accusation involving a lawyer close to him.
03:19These developments add another layer of controversy to an already tense campaign.
03:25Outside the debate, Brazil's political divisions were on full display.
03:30Flavio Bolsonaro's supporters gathered along Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue, many wearing
03:36the national colours of green, yellow and blue.
03:39Lula's supporters rallied in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro, with red, the colour associated
03:45with his Workers' Party, prominent among the crowds.
03:49Yet one major question remains, who will persuade undecided voters to turn out?
03:54Around 33 million eligible voters stayed home during the first round, roughly one in five
04:01of those eligible to vote.
04:03Their participation could matter, as both campaigns make their final push.
04:09Polls cited by Al Jazeera suggest a close race, with Flavio Bolsonaro holding a slight advantage
04:15in the latest survey referenced in its report.
04:18However, polling remains a snapshot of voter opinion, not a final election result.
04:25The next debate is scheduled for October 23rd, just two days before the runoff.
04:30With the economy, crime, corruption allegations and the legacy of Jair Bolsonaro all in play,
04:38Brazil's final campaign stretch is becoming a contest not just over policies, but over trust,
04:44leadership and the country's future direction.
04:48On October 25th, voters will make their choice.
04:52Until then, both candidates have one final opportunity to convince Brazil that they deserve the presidency.
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