Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro and leftist challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva exchanged jabs and insults as they faces off against each other in first head-to-head debate. The debate took place with Brazil’s presidential runoff elections two weeks away.

Lula attacked Bolsonaro calling him “king of fake news”. In return, he drew accusations of lying, corruption and a “disgraceful record” from his opponent.

Lula is the charismatic but tarnished ex-president (2003-2010) who is eyeing a comeback at the age of 76. He was particularly fiery as he criticised Bolsonaro over handling of COVID pandemic. 687,000 people died in Brazil due to Covid-19, second only to the US.

Attacking Bolsonaro over his resistance to buying vaccines and touting of unproven medications such as hydroxychloroquine, Lula said the president “carries the weight of those deaths on his shoulders.”

“Your negligence led to 680,000 people dying, when more than half could have been saved,” the ex-metalworker said in his trademark gravelly voice.

“No other leader in the world played around with the pandemic and with death the way you did.”

Bolsonaro (67) tried to drag the focus of the debate to the issue of corruption. This was a weak spot for Lula who was jailed in 2018 on now overturned graft charges.

“Your past is disgraceful… You did nothing for Brazil but stuff public money in your pockets and those of your friends,” Bolsonaro said.

“Lula, stop lying, it’s bad for you at your age,” said the ex-army captain at another point, simultaneously defending his own record and taking a shot at his rival’s age.

Bolsonaro, the vitriolic hardline conservative who took office in 2019, finished second in the first-round election on October 2 with 43 percent of the vote, to 48 percent for Lula.

But many opinion polls had put Lula’s lead in the double digits.

Bolsonaro’s stronger-than-expected performance has given him an aura of momentum heading into the runoff, and increased speculation over the possibility of another surprise in two weeks’ time.

(With inputs from agencies)

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