Lula, instead of taking part in the debate, opted to appear on a popular podcast with millions of YouTube subscribers while his rival Bolsonaro accused the electoral court of “censorship” as a reason for his withdrawal.
Bolsonaro, son of the former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, said during a live broadcast on Thursday on his social media channels that his decision not to participate in the debate was due to “censorship imposed by the electoral court”.
Lula, 80, will face off against Bolsonaro in a first-round vote on Sunday, with polls giving him a slight advantage, Al Jazeera reported.
The pair are neck and neck in projections for a potential runoff on October 25, however.
On the same day of the cancelled debate, Brazilian police ruled out a bomb threat outside the Supreme Court.
A suspect who “tried to jump the court’s fences” and “threw a backpack on top of a bus stop” had been arrested, the court said in a statement.
Authorities examined the backpack, which ultimately contained “only personal belongings,” military police spokesperson Raphael Broocke told AFP.
The Supreme Court has been criticized by the political right, notably for the 2025 conviction of ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro over a coup plot.
It has also become embroiled in a fraud scandal that has dominated the final weeks of the presidential campaign.