Brazil’s Lula, Bolsonaro Set for First Debate

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro were set to meet in their first televised debate as the presidential runoff entered its final week. Their campaigns also drew rival rallies, and both candidates sought support from the roughly 33 million voters who abstained in the first round; polls described the contest as close, with Bolsonaro holding a slight edge. The debate was expected to be tense, reflecting years of political polarization, and to give the candidates a chance to address voters directly after avoiding a face-to-face encounter in the first round. Lula’s coalition accused Meta platforms of restricting his Instagram account and favoring Bolsonaro’s profile, while Meta attributed problems to technical glitches and denied political bias.