Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro Tied at 50 Percent in Final Datafolha Survey

Brazil’s presidential runoff is entering its final hours with the two main candidates statistically deadlocked. A survey by the Datafolha institute, published on Thursday, shows President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro each at 50 percent. This result erases the four-point lead Bolsonaro held in polls released two weeks earlier.

The candidates met for the final debate of the campaign on Friday in Rio de Janeiro, broadcast on TV Globo. The discussion focused on economic policy, infrastructure, and regional development. The tone was more diplomatic than their first meeting on Sunday, though personal jabs still occurred.

Lula challenged Bolsonaro’s plan to cut public spending, comparing it to the approach of Argentine President Javier Milei. Bolsonaro countered that he would perform the same role because Lula is leaving the country bankrupt. He also accused the incumbent of allowing organized crime to grow and failing to lower the cost of living.

Lula, Brazil’s first working-class president, responded by questioning Bolsonaro’s background. He stated that his rival does not know what hunger is or what it means to be Brazilian. Bolsonaro defended his candidacy as a vehicle for change, asking why goods are so expensive for voters.

Tensions rose when Bolsonaro used the nickname Nine Fingers to describe Lula, a reference to an accident in the president’s past as a metalworker. The 80-year-old president demanded an apology, which Bolsonaro offered. Lula later called Bolsonaro a vigilante, citing alleged ties to paramilitary groups in Rio. Bolsonaro said he would classify those groups as narcoterrorists.

The race has tightened after the first round of voting on October 4, where Bolsonaro finished first with 47 percent to Lula’s 45 percent. Both candidates are scheduled to join supporters in the streets of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo for a final push before voters head to the polls on Sunday.