Flávio Bolsonaro does not plan to take part in Band debate — The Rio Times
In Brazil, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro stated that he does not plan to participate in the Band TV debate scheduled for October 18 ahead of the second round of the presidential election. President Lula confirmed that he will attend the event. The second round of voting between them is set to take place on October 25, 2026.
As The Rio Times reports, Bolsonaro told journalists on October 13 that his participation in the debate is not planned. Regarding the Globo TV debate scheduled for October 23, the senator said that his campaign headquarters would make the final decision.
TV debate schedule
The Band debate, jointly organized with Estadão, is due to begin on October 18 at 20:00 Brasília time. TV Cultura, TV Gazeta and Jovem Pan are named among the event's partners. The broadcast is also planned on Estadão's platforms and YouTube.
The “O Momento da Decisão” debate, organized by a pool of 11 media outlets including SBT, CNN Brasil and RedeTV!, is scheduled for October 15. Its holding depends on confirmation of participation by both candidates. The event's start time has not been announced.
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Final broadcasts before the vote
Globo has scheduled a TV debate for October 23, two days before the election, following the Jornal Nacional news program. César Tralli is expected to moderate the program. The channel also plans separate interviews with the candidates: with Lula on October 15 and with Bolsonaro on October 16.
Record canceled a debate that was due to take place on October 11, citing incompatible schedules. Before the first round, the candidates also did not meet in a joint TV debate: on October 1, Bolsonaro withdrew from the Globo broadcast shortly before it began, while Lula had previously said that he would not attend.
The report says that the latest poll verified by the outlet, conducted by Datafolha on October 8, showed 49% support for Bolsonaro and 45% for Lula among all voters. Among valid votes, the figures were 52% and 48%, respectively.
