Lula asks Bolsonaro whether he will wield “Milei’s chainsaw” in a heated debate

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva questioned his rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, on Sunday about whether he would apply Argentine President Javier Milei's "chainsaw" approach to cut 250 billion reais in government spending during a heated televised debate. The two-hour-long debate, held at Band network's headquarters in São Paulo, marked the first of the campaign as neither candidate participated in the previous round.

Bolsonaro, representing the Liberal Party, launched attacks on allegations of influence-peddling involving Lula's eldest son, Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, based on an interview he had given to CNN Brasil the day before. Lula countered with references to investigations into his rival, including one related to the Banco Master case. Additionally, Lula challenged Bolsonaro on whether he would hand Brazil's natural resources over to the United States, accusing him and his family of being "subservient" and suggesting a plan to privatize the state oil company Petrobras.

Bolsonaro emphasized security concerns, claiming that "Brazilians' sovereignty" was lost in neighborhoods controlled by drug trafficking, stating, "The streets will be ours again and not those criminals’." He proposed creating a Ministry of Prosperity and urged voters to cast their ballots "without fear." The debate concluded with a disturbance in the audience, prompting the moderator to intervene as Lula concluded his closing remarks.

Recent polls indicate a statistical tie, with Bolsonaro narrowly leading at 47.03% compared to Lula's 45.16%. The candidates are scheduled to face each other again on Friday 23 on TV Globo, two days before the October 25 runoff election.