Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro trade barbs on economy and crime in final debate before Brazil run-off

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro met for the last debate of the presidential campaign on Friday, two days before Sunday's run-off. The exchanges leaned heavily on policy, with the two men questioning each other about the economy, infrastructure and regional development.

Lula went after his opponent's proposal to take a chainsaw to public spending, drawing a comparison with the approach of Argentina's libertarian president, Javier Milei. Bolsonaro turned the point around. I'll have the same job here as Milei in Argentina because you're leaving the country bankrupt, he said.

Bolsonaro, a senator and the son of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, accused the incumbent of letting organised crime expand, pushing families into debt and failing to tackle the high cost of living. Lula, who is Brazil's first working-class president, hit back on a personal level. He doesn't know what hunger is, he said of his rival, who answered by asking, Why are things so expensive? Lula also questioned the senator's experience, declaring, He doesn't know Brazil. Bolsonaro pressed on with his pitch that he is a capable candidate who stands for change.

The debate was held in Rio de Janeiro and broadcast on TV Globo. It was noticeably more diplomatic than the first meeting between the two on Sunday, though it still had its share of personal attacks and tense moments.

One of those moments came when Bolsonaro used the nickname Nine Fingers for Lula. Many of Bolsonaro's supporters use the term, which is pejorative and refers to an accident Lula suffered while working as a metalworker. The 80-year-old president demanded an apology, and Bolsonaro offered one.

Lula then called his rival a vigilante, a reference to allegations that Bolsonaro has ties to paramilitary groups in Rio de Janeiro. Bolsonaro said he would classify such groups as narcoterrorists.

A third heated exchange involved the mother of a five-year-old killed in a shootout that included a police officer whose lawyer was Bolsonaro. The candidate said he does not believe his client was guilty.

The race has tightened considerably. Bolsonaro finished first in the opening round of voting on October 4, taking 47 percent to Lula's 45 percent. A Datafolha institute survey published on Thursday put the two level at 50 percent each, erasing the four-point lead Bolsonaro held in polls released two weeks earlier.

Both candidates are expected to join supporters on the streets of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo for their final campaign push before Sunday's vote.