President Lula Skips Final Televised Presidential Debate

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will skip the final televised presidential debate hosted by TV Globo on Thursday. This decision continues a pattern of avoiding all televised debates during his campaign for a fourth term. Lula, who leads first-round polls with 39% support, stated he will not attend to avoid "nonsense" and "trash talk" from his opponents. He plans to appear on a podcast during the debate's time slot instead.

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the president's main challenger with 34% support, confirmed his participation in the event. Bolsonaro had previously skipped other debates because Lula was absent, but he now intends to use the platform to challenge the president. Other candidates attending the debate include Augusto Cury, Ronaldo Caiado, and Romeu Zema.

Opponents have accused the president of dodging scrutiny on issues of security and corruption. Ronaldo Caiado specifically noted his desire to debate these topics directly with Lula. While Lula maintains a lead in first-round polling, a simulated runoff shows him and Bolsonaro tied at 42% each.