Brazilian media pool cancels presidential and state debates

The media consortium ‘O Momento da Decisão’ has canceled scheduled debates for the Brazilian Presidency and the government of São Paulo, originally set for September 14 and 18. The decision follows the failure of leading candidates Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro to confirm their participation by the September 7 deadline. Additionally, Tarcísio de Freitas did not confirm his attendance for the São Paulo gubernatorial debate.

While several candidates had already accepted the invitations—including Augusto Cury, Renan Santos, Ronaldo Caiado, and Romeu Zema for the presidency, and Fernando Haddad for the São Paulo governorship—the absence of the frontrunners led the 11-member media pool to suspend the events. The group, which includes SBT, CNN Brasil, and Exame, stated that while the cancellation occurred, they maintain that debates are essential democratic instruments.

In response to the cancellation, presidential candidate Ronaldo Caiado criticized the absences of Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, describing the situation as a ‘blow to Brazilian democracy.’