Bolsonaro, Lula supporters watch Brazil’s final presidential debate with football fervour

When Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva uttered the words, “Father, forgive the ignorant,” the Armazem do Campo cinema in Rio de Janeiro’s Lapa neighbourhood erupted with whistles and approving cheers.

Lula’s supporters did not choose this venue to watch Brazil’s final presidential debate at random. The Armazem do Campo cinema is a cultural stronghold of the Landless Workers Movement (MST), the militant Brazilian peasant organisation supporting equitable land distribution that has challenged traditional property rights.

Bolsonaro, who has close links to Brazil’s agribusiness industry, is a harsh critic of the MST and the organisation has backed Lula in the 2022 presidential race.

In the grocery store on the ground floor of the cinema, every corner was bedecked with posters, stickers and books bearing the image of the former president. Upstairs, the viewing room was packed to capacity. Hundreds of people, with Lula stickers on their chests and beers in hand, gathered to watch the debate on a cinema screen. The spectators shouted, applauded, laughed and expressed just as much exasperation as they would during a football match.  

In this leftist stronghold, there are no fans of Bolsonaro, who has called land rights activists “terrorists”.

“Jair Bolsonaro’s government is oppressing us, he has given the landlords permission to shoot at us,” said Renato Souza, a tall man with greying hair. An MST member, Souza was referring to frequent attacks on the organisation during Bolsonaro’s tenure, when MST activists were frequently threatened and in some cases, even murdered.

On Friday night, when Lula defended his “small family farming” land distribution policies and his links with MST, the spectators reacted as if the home team had scored a winning goal.

‘I watch all of our president’s speeches’ 

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, Bolsonaro’s voters met in Copacabana last night. The district traditionally favoured by the right has been home to the biggest demonstrations in support of the incumbent over the past four years.  

The atmosphere was festive. Some voters came with their families and others leaned against the counter, proudly wearing the country’s flag around their necks.  

Sofia Pina and Junior Oliveira Souza’s eyes were glued to the screen broadcasting the debate. “Very well said! Bravo captain!” they commented aloud, exchanging views with fellow Bolsonaro supporters at the other tables. “I watch all of our president’s speeches,” said Pina proudly.

When sensitive topics such as the environment and Covid-19 came up during the debate, the two friends categorically defended their candidate. “Bolsonaro was the first to buy vaccines, he is not to blame for Covid-related deaths,” said Souza. Everyone there seemed to agree that Bolsonaro’s performance was excellent. 

Liars, bandits, ideological warriors: A fiesty debate

The final presidential debate, like the others on the campaign trail, was feisty as the two candidates traded barbs, accusing each other of waging ideological warfare. 

Few proposals emerged and the candidates did not really defend their programmes, preferring instead to reiterate their respective records, attack each other and call each other “liars”.

“This guy is the biggest liar in Brazil’s history,” Lula said during the first few minutes of the debate, which was broadcast on TV Globo, the country’s most watched channel. “Will we have to exorcise him to stop the lying?” asked Bolsonaro before calling Lula a “bandit”. 

Lack of trust in the traditional media 

Back in Lapa, Larissa Santos, a 35-year-old advertising executive who watched the debate in Rio’s city centre, believed Lula was “trying to talk about his programme. He said he wanted to facilitate access to educational tools rather than to weapons.”

Yet Lula, who is usually a good public speaker, spent a lot of time behind his desk, listing what he had achieved during his mandate. He also managed his time poorly, as it allowed his rival to deliver several long monologues.  

In Pato Louco, another Copacabana bar, a bright white light illuminated the green and yellow shirts of its customers. The walls were adorned with old yellow tiles, a typical decor of these restaurants in the Carioca neighbourhoods. 

Fabricio Nunes arrived to watch the debate alone. Between sips of cheap beer, the 42-year-old entrepreneur noted that it was “brave” of Bolsonaro to do the debate on TV Globo. Bolsonaro’s supporters believe the Brazilian channel, which hosted the debate, is a media tool used by the left.

Nunes is from Pernambuco, a state with a pro-Lula majority, and said he believes in the current president. “I always say that he is the candidate of truth. He doesn’t lie, he is always very transparent,” he said.  

Tight race, cliffhanger opinion polls

Lula’s supporters think that Bolsonaro’s aggressive tone discredits him. “This debate is decisive as we approach the second round. Bolsonaro only says fake news, he does not mention any facts, only speculations. Lula, on the other hand, is presenting concrete data and figures,” said Santos, who was proudly watching the debate. 

Lula’s performance also convinced Camila Laricchia, a 32-year-old teacher. “Lula is doing very well, he directly addresses the points that affect Brazilian society,” she said.

According to the latest poll by the Datafolha institute, which was published on Thursday, Lula has slightly increased his lead, with 53% of respondents saying they intend to vote for him, compared with 47% for Bolsonaro.

It’s a six-point gap, up from only four points last week. 

But Brazil’s polls proved inaccurate during the first round of the presidential vote, when Bolsonaro and his allies mustered much better results than pollsters predicted. As all eyes turn to Sunday’s vote, the stakes and suspense around Brazil’s landmark election are now sky high. 

This article has been translated from the original in French.