Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro faced off in their second and final televised debate on Saturday, seeking to win over undecided voters ahead of the runoff election scheduled for Sunday. The runoff comes after Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, unexpectedly led the first round of voting, signaling potential for Brazil to shift further right, in line with a broader regional trend supported by US President Donald Trump.
Flavio Bolsonaro’s surprising lead in the initial vote prompted the left to intensify grassroots rallies and an online campaign in support of Lula, who is aiming to secure a comeback in the election. A recent Datalabina survey released Thursday indicated a dead heat between the two candidates, each with 50% of voting intentions, narrowing from Bolsonaro’s earlier four-point advantage.
Political analysts view the debate as crucial for Lula, who, despite gaining momentum, has yet to deliver a definitive shift in voter sentiment. The initial debate on Sunday had been marked by name-calling and lacked substantive policy discussions, leading to increased voter confusion and a rise in undecided voters from 7% to 14%, according to a subsequent Quaest poll.
Both candidates have repeatedly accused each other of abusing social media platforms and spreading misinformation throughout the campaign. An online petition with over one million signatures called on Globo TV to implement live fact-checking during the debate to combat disinformation.
At a rally in Fortaleza, Flavio Bolsonaro addressed allegations that he planned to dismantle social welfare programs, calling these claims “fake news.” He promised tough measures on crime, including the creation of 500,000 new prison spaces, alongside commitments to reduce government spending. Lula, conversely, has argued that change does not equate to stripping away citizens’ rights.
Supporters of Lula emphasize his connection to the country’s poorer and working-class citizens. At a demonstration in Belo Horizonte, 22-year-old Gabriela Ferreira described Lula as someone who represents her experience as a poor student reliant on scholarships. Lula portrays himself as a defender of democracy, rallying voters concerned about a Bolsonaro family return to power; Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for his role in an attempted coup after the 2022 election.
The campaign has been marked by legal battles, with both camps seeking to disqualify the other over alleged social media abuses. Lula’s team has accused Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, of interfering to benefit Flavio Bolsonaro through algorithm manipulation. Meta denies these allegations, attributing the deactivation of some Lula campaign ads to technical errors.
Brazil’s electoral court has ordered Meta and X (formerly Twitter) to disclose their criteria for distributing political content and advertisements, along with explanations of their use of artificial intelligence, within 24 hours.
In a live broadcast on his “Lula’s Army” WhatsApp channel, which boasts over 8 million followers, Lula criticized Meta’s influence and called for reform of the company’s "digital empire." His digital strategy advisor, Joao Brant, expressed concerns about an alleged alignment between Meta and the US government. Flavio Bolsonaro, meanwhile, charged Lula with abusing power by allegedly using an official government WhatsApp account to disseminate information during the election period.