Brazil presidential debate zeroes in on Chinese investment and US tariffs

Brazil’s presidential candidates opened the televised campaign season on Sunday with a debate that turned repeatedly to the country’s position between Washington and Beijing. The exchange comes in an election cycle already shaped by American tariffs, a visa dispute over election monitoring and the Lula government’s war

Brazil's first presidential debate of 2026 drew only three candidates, with the two front-runners Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro absent, leaving empty lecterns on stage.