Politics · São Paulo, Brazil · October 19, 2026

Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro trade insults in Brazil run-off debate

Reported by 3 outlets · first reported Oct 19, 2:15 AM ET

In their first televised debate before the 25 October run-off, President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro called each other liars and threats to democracy. Lula asked whether his rival would apply Milei-style spending cuts.

Why it matters

The result will set the direction of Latin America's largest economy.

Background

Lula leads the left; Flávio is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Brazil remains deeply polarised.

The story so far

1. Oct 19Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro trade insults in Brazil run-off debate
2. Oct 26Brazilian stocks and currency plunge after Lula win
3. Oct 27Brazil markets fall after Lula's win

Follow the whole story →

Sources

• BBC News ↗Oct 19, 7:41 AM ET
• MercoPress ↗Oct 19, 2:15 AM ET
• Buenos Aires Times ↗Oct 19, 7:51 AM ET

This summary was written automatically from the reporting linked above; follow the sources for the full story. How One Turn works.

See it on the globe →All of Oct 19's stories