Final Debate Between Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro And Former President Luiz Inácio Ahead Of Their Runoff

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva faced off in a final debate ahead of their runoff election on Sunday, mostly focusing  on economic difficulties. a close race between the far-right incumbent and the left-wing challenger, who met on Friday night's program on the country's main TV network. more promised to increase spending on the poor, although he did not outline a clear plan for how to do this.

He also stressed that the Bolsonaro government has not yet planned to raise the minimum wage above inflation. "This man ruled for four years and there was no real 1 percent increase," said da Silva in the TV Globo debate. in Rio de Janeiro, which lasted two and a half hours. He said the minimum wage is  worth less now than it was when Bolsonaro took office.

Bolsonaro was quick to pledge to raise the minimum wage from $229 a month to $265 next year, though that wasn't included in his 2023 budget proposal  sent to Congress. He said the economic recession accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the minimum wage from being raised, but pointed to the consolidation of economic activity.

"We did better than you would have done," the President told da Silva. "We're ready to take off. We now have one of the  best economies in the world." Mario Sérgio Lima,  senior Brazil analyst at Medley Global Advisors, said the final debate is unlikely to persuade many voters to cast their ballots for either candidate. "Bolsonaro had to get a big win...

He didn't do very well in the swing voter focus groups and online mentions," Lima said, referring to real-time polls posted online  by pollsters. "Now it's down to the edited videos that both campaigns create will  energize their followers.

Bolsonaro once said  that "the whole system is against me". He appeared nervous at times, and da Silva, commonly known  as Lula to Brazilians, has repeatedly drawn attention to the president's behavior, saying it was out of character for his position. , with a similar format that gives candidates  time to use as they see fit, whether to address voters or ask questions of their opponent.

This debate marked a change from their previous meeting, when da Silva focused on the president's widely criticized handling of the pandemic that has killed more than 680,000 Brazilians, and Bolsonaro focused on the corruption probes that are affecting his opponent and the tainted Labor Party. The two candidates revisited these issues on Friday, but spent less time on them.

Da Silva repeatedly tried to characterize the Bolsonaro government as isolated around the world, noting the lack of state visits and allies abroad. Noting that his trip to Russia ahead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine secured a supply of fertilizers, which helped Brazil's agribusiness, Bolsonaro said the Middle East was welcoming him "with open arms." Appeal to religious voters.

At the beginning of the debate, he raised his hands in the air and raised his arms, shouting his motto: “God! Hometown! Family! The most tense moment of the debate came when Bolsonaro called on da Silva to stand next to him as he answered a question. "Stay here, Luiz," said the President.

The former president replied, "I don't want to be anywhere near you," and then turned his back on him. In a post-debate interview with a reporter from TV Globo, Bolsonaro indicated that he would respect the outcome of the vote. Many analysts have expressed concerns that he has laid the groundwork to call results into question when they are unfavorable, as has former US President Donald Trump. "There is no doubt: whoever has the most votes gets them," said Bolsonaro. "This is  a democracy.