Lula and Bolsonaro in dead heat as Brazil goes to polls
Final polls show Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro tied, while TV Globo canceled the debate after court rulings changed the format.
- On Thursday, TV Globo canceled Brazil's final presidential debate after frontrunners President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro declined to attend, depriving voters of a last-minute face-off before Sunday's election.
- Lula refused to attend, arguing "You cannot bring someone who has 49% to debate with someone who has 1%," citing unfair matchups with lower-polling candidates.
- Citing "censorship imposed by the electoral court," Bolsonaro withdrew hours before airtime after TSE rulings removed his opponent's empty seat and forced inclusion of candidate Renan Santos.
- The cancellation deprived about 158 million voters of a final face-off, marking the first time in 20 years that Brazil's leading candidates rejected a public confrontation before voting.
- Candidates may face renewed pressure to debate during the three weeks before an October 25 runoff if neither wins outright on Sunday, shifting their avoidance strategy.
220 Articles
220 Articles
Shortly before the presidential election, Brazil's judiciary is making TV channel Globo cancel the last planned debate. Media associations speak of »judiciary abuse«. A scandal with consequences for Lula and Bolsonaro.
In Brazil, for the first time in 20 years, there has been no television debate between the two leading presidential candidates.
Brazil: Final Presidential Debate Cancelled over Judicial Censorship
Brazilian broadcaster TV Globo cancelled Thursday's final presidential debate ahead of the upcoming election, citing "judicial interference" from both Brazil's top electoral authority and Supreme Court demanding changes in the debate's rules.
Between polemics about the patron saint of Brazil and television debate cancelled at the last minute, the campaign for the first round of the presidential election on Sunday in Brazil is coming to an end in a
Brazil's Lula, Bolsonaro snub final TV debate ahead of Sunday's polls
Leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro are frontrunners in Sunday's race. Both skipped a planned TV debate, opting to avoid direct confrontation before the first round of voting.
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