Friday, October 2, 2026 - Brazil’s presidential campaign has entered its final stretch with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro trading increasingly sharp attacks ahead of Sunday’s first-round election.
The final televised debate was canceled after both leading candidates declined to participate, leaving voters without a direct face-to-face encounter between the two main contenders.
The campaign has also been marked by disputes over religion, crime, corruption allegations and provocative remarks circulating online.
A controversy involving Brazil’s patron saint, Our Lady of Aparecida, became a major campaign issue after claims about Bolsonaro’s intentions spread online; Brazil’s electoral court ordered posts containing what it described as untrue claims to be removed. Bolsonaro denied the allegations.
With Brazilians heading to the polls on October 4, the final days are focused heavily on undecided voters and competing online campaigns.
Recent polling has shown a close contest between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, with Datafolha’s October 1 survey putting Lula at 45% of valid first-round votes and Bolsonaro at 40%, while a possible runoff remained within the poll’s margin of error.
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