Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro trade corruption charges in first runoff debate

Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro used their first presidential runoff debate, broadcast by Band on Sunday night, to trade corruption accusations, with Lula pressing his rival over R$134 million sought from ex-banker Daniel Vorcaro and Flávio attacking the president on the cost of living.

Why it matters: The debate opens the final week before a runoff that late polls call a technical tie, and the exchanges set the fiscal and corruption lines both camps will run on: Lula's growth and debt relief record against Flávio's promise of lower prices and rapidly falling interest rates.

Data as of Sunday, October 18, 2026, 21:47 ET. Developing item. UOL's summary of the Band debate of October 18, 2026, in Portuguese, read in full, with Prensa Latina's report of the same debate, in Spanish, read in full, and Folha de S.Paulo's debate coverage carrying the same exchanges. Polling context from this site's week ahead briefing for October 19 to 25, 2026.

Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro met on Sunday night in the first debate of Brazil’s presidential runoff, a Band broadcast that UOL characterised as a series of attacks and provocations with few proposals. Lula pressed Flávio over the R$134 million he sought from ex-banker Daniel Vorcaro for a film about Jair Bolsonaro, over his past legal work and militia links, and over his late reversal on ending the 6x1 work schedule, and challenged both men to open their families’ bank and telephone secrecy before the vote; Flávio countered with the lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger’s claims about Lula’s son and refused to answer the Vorcaro question directly. On the economy, Flávio promised rapidly falling interest rates and attacked food prices, while Lula defended growth above 3 percent, cited 716,000 Covid deaths under the previous government against Flávio’s health plans, and said the cost of living was higher under Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro trade corruption charges in first runoff debate

Sources