Brazil’s presidential candidates, incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and challenger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, faced off in their first direct debate of the run-off campaign this Sunday. The event was marked by aggressive rhetoric, with both candidates focusing on personal accusations rather than detailed policy discussions. The debate comes just one week before the October 25 election, a period during which both campaigns are aggressively courting the remaining undecided voters.

There is a notable discrepancy in reporting regarding the participants. Al Jazeera identifies the debate as being between the two primary presidential candidates, Lula and Jair Bolsonaro. However, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports that the debate featured Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the former president, alongside Lula. This creates a significant contradiction regarding who exactly stood on the stage during this high-stakes event.

Polls leading up to the debate indicated a tight race. Jair Bolsonaro entered the final week of the campaign with momentum, having outperformed expectations in the first round of voting by finishing approximately two points ahead of Lula. Despite this, national surveys remain divided, and both campaigns are treating the final days as critical to securing a victory in a deeply polarized political environment.