MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula accuses Bolsonaro of “licking Trump’s boots” in the final debate

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday accused his runoff rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, of “licking the boots” of US President Donald Trump during the last televised debate before Sunday’s election.

Lula said Bolsonaro was behind Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Brazilian imports, a recurring accusation the senator has repeatedly denied. “But I wasn’t worried; if Trump doesn’t want to buy from Brazil, I’ll sell elsewhere,” he said in the TV Globo debate, referring to the opening of new markets during his term. Brazil “has never exported so much” as it does now, he added.

Bolsonaro, for his part, accused Lula of “massacring” the farm sector with high interest rates and reminded him that he had recently said farmers should “kneel” before him for his government’s investment. “Why do you humiliate people, why do you treat the farm sector so badly?” he asked. Lula replied that his rival “memorises but doesn’t learn” and that agriculture received more resources under his government than under former president Jair Bolsonaro, the candidate’s father.

Bolsonaro won the first round with 47.03% of the vote against Lula’s 45.16%, and the latest Datafolha poll puts them level at 50% of valid votes each.