Brazil Elections: Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro Boycott First Round Debate

In Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro have decided to skip the first-round televised debate on TV Globo, the country's most popular channel. This is the first time in 20 years that the two leading candidates have boycotted a public debate before a presidential election. Analysts suggest they opted for the 'empty chair' strategy to avoid media confrontation before the first round, but they may participate in a debate during the second round in three weeks.