A few weeks before the presidential elections in Brazil, incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and the ex-head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is running against him, seriously accused each other in a television debate.
In his opening statement, right-wing extremist Bolsonaro called Lula a “thief” and accused the left-leaning ex-president: “His government was the most corrupt in Brazil’s history.”
The incumbent also caused a scandal in the debate when he responded to a question from journalist Vera Magalhaes with massive allegations against her. In her question, Magalhaes said Bolsonaro had spread misinformation about vaccinations against Covid-19.
Bolsonaro said to her, “Vera, you fall asleep thinking about me, you have a kind of crush.” He accused her of “false accusations” and said: “You are a disgrace to Brazilian journalism.” Den Later allegations of misogyny by another candidate Bolsonaro brushed aside.
“What do you want to return to? To keep doing what you did with Petrobras?” he asked Lula, referring to the bribery scandal surrounding the semi-state oil company.
The Labor Party (PT) politician denied the incumbent’s accusation, stressing that many social reforms had been initiated during his government from 2003 to 2010.
Bolsonaro is now in the process of “destroying” the country, Lula said. Lula listed the anti-corruption measures during his tenure and referred to the fight against poverty and the creation of jobs. “This country that I have ruled is a country that the current President is destroying.”
Lula ruled Brazil from early 2003 to late 2010. He lifted millions of people out of poverty with social programs. Brazil was also booming economically. However, corruption also continued to spread in the region’s largest economy.
In 2018, Lula was sentenced to a good 12 years in prison for corruption and money laundering. Last year, the Supreme Court overturned the verdict. Lula regained his political rights and went back into politics.
Brazil will elect the next president in early October, with right-wing incumbent Bolsonaro taking on left-wing former head of state Lula.
