Lula, Bolsonaro trade barbs over cost of living in final debate before Brazil runoff

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sparred over the cost of living and traded personal attacks on Friday in the last presidential debate before Sunday's runoff, as both candidates sought to win over undecided voters amid a tight race.

Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, led Lula in the first round of the election earlier this month, but opinion polls have shown the two candidates about even this week after the gap between them narrowed.

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Bolsonaro and Lula repeated their campaign proposals during the over two-hour debate hosted by Globo, Brazil's most-watched TV channel, focusing on themes such as the cost of living, welfare and security, while exchanging allegations of corruption.

Lula, who is seeking his fourth term after winning back the presidency in 2022, has defended his government's above-inflation minimum wage increases and stressed that his administration helped millions of Brazilians to escape hunger.

The president said the younger Bolsonaro "is like students studying for college entrance exams. They can memorize things, but they can't learn." He also said that "in the gated community where Bolsonaro lives, people don't go hungry." Reuters