Brazil 2026 Elections, live: with no presidential debate, Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro face the final stretch

A judge barred TV Globo from displaying Lula's empty podium at the final electoral debate Candidates and moderators take part in a televised electoral debate in Brazil for the 2026 process. (Screenshot) A judge from Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) barred TV Globo from displaying the empty podium of President and re-election candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the final debate the network will broadcast this Thursday on the eve of Sunday's elections. The decision was taken on an urgent basis by Judge Estela Aranha, who also prevented the other candidates participating in the debate, among them Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the main opposition candidate, from asking questions directed at Lula's empty podium. The 80-year-old progressive leader declined to attend the event and will give an interview to a podcast at almost the same time as the debate. The judge thus granted a motion from Lula's campaign, interpreting that displaying the empty podium of the Workers' Party (PT) candidate is an attempt to embarrass the incumbent on the eve of the first round of voting. She also noted in her ruling that Globo's intention "has the potential to create a situation of imbalance" among the candidates and stressed that candidates' participation in debates organized by media outlets is "optional." A dispute over Brazil's patron saint dominated the end of the electoral campaign The religious controversy arose last week, when social media posts went viral claiming that, if he came to power, Flávio Bolsonaro would strip Nossa Senhora Aparecida of her status as the country's patron saint. The candidate denied the accusations and blamed the government for spreading "fake news" More A dispute over Brazil's patron saint dominated the end of the electoral campaign Brazil's electoral judiciary ordered the removal from social media of false posts about Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the country's patron saint, amid a controversy dominating the final hours of the campaign for Sunday's presidential elections, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he is following the vote "very closely." After the debate was canceled, Flávio Bolsonaro said Lula will be "expelled from the Presidency" in Sunday's elections "I called you, Lula, to the debate more than twice. You fled. It is you we want to debate, to rub the truth in your face, your incompetence, your corruption," said the presidential candidate More Flávio Bolsonaro said Lula will be "expelled from the Presidency" after Sunday's elections (REUTERS) Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro said Thursday night that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be "expelled from the Presidency this Sunday" and asked his voters for a "protest vote" as he seeks to win the elections in the first round, during a live broadcast with allies after withdrawing from the TV Globo debate. Brazil's final presidential debate was canceled after the withdrawals of Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, days before the elections The Globo network announced the measure one hour before the scheduled start of the broadcast, after Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Judge Estela Aranha barred the network from showing the incumbent president's empty podium during the broadcast More Empty podiums of candidates Flavio Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the day of a presidential debate ahead of national elections in São Paulo, Brazil, on August 23, 2026 (REUTERS/Jean Carniel) The Globo network canceled the final presidential debate before Sunday's elections on Thursday, following a series of judicial decisions that altered the rules agreed upon for the event. The network announced the measure one hour before the scheduled start of the broadcast.