Bolsonaro and Lula da Silva dominate Brazil’s first election debate in a rhetorical slugfest

Brazilian conservative President and re-election candidate Jair Bolsonaro and former President and main electoral rival socialist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva dominated Sunday night's first televised debate between presidential candidates ahead of the Oct. 2 elections.

In a highly rhetorical debate on the Bandeirantes television station in the city of São Paulo, Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party defended social measures adopted in the second half of the year aimed at increasing subsidy programs for nearly 20 million destitute families.

For his part, Lula da Sila of the Workers' Party promised to maintain social assistance until 2023. . .