President Lula and opposition challenger Flavio Bolsonaro bypass the final televised showdown ahead of Sunday’s vote.
2 Oct 2026
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and leading opposition challenger Flavio Bolsonaro have both declined to participate in a scheduled final debate ahead of Sunday’s first-round presidential election, while authorities confirmed a suspicious package outside the Supreme Court did not pose a threat.
Rather than joining the debate, Lula appeared on a widely viewed podcast with millions of YouTube subscribers. Bolsonaro, meanwhile, justified his withdrawal by accusing the electoral court of imposing “censorship.”
The former president’s son made the announcement during a live broadcast on Thursday, citing what he described as “censorship imposed by the electoral court.” This referred to a ruling preventing the debate broadcaster from leaving Lula’s empty seat on stage during the telecast.
Organised by TV Globo, the nation’s most-watched network, the event was originally scheduled for Thursday, providing a last chance for the two frontrunners to clash before voting opened.
TV Globo stated in a release that the discussion was called off due to “legal uncertainty” created by two rulings—one from the electoral court and another from the Supreme Court.
Lula, aged 80, is set to face Bolsonaro in a first-round ballot on Sunday, with early polls showing a marginal lead for the incumbent.
Nevertheless, projections for a potential October 25 runoff show the pair remaining effectively tied.
Bomb scare
On the day the debate was cancelled, Brazilian police ruled out a bomb threat surrounding the Supreme Court.
A statement from the court noted a suspect had been arrested after attempting to scale the building’s perimeter and leaving a backpack near a bus stop.
Military police spokesperson Raphael Broocke told AFP that investigators found the bag contained “only personal belongings.”
The individual will remain detained while the probe proceeds, he added.
![Brazilian police and firefighters inspect the area of a possible bomb in a backpack outside the Supreme Court headquarters in Brasilia on October 1, 2026 [AFP]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==)
The Supreme Court has drawn criticism from the political right, especially following the 2025 conviction of former leader Jair Bolsonaro connected to a coup plot.
The court has also been caught up in a fraud scandal that has dominated the final weeks of the election campaign.
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