Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), Renan Santos (Missão), and Augusto Cury (Avante) criticized the absence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) during a live debate.
The event highlights a strategic rift in the presidential race, as smaller candidates attempt to use the visibility of a televised forum to challenge the dominance of established political figures who declined to attend.
During the broadcast on Jovem Pan News, the three candidates used their studio time to address the missing participants. They specifically noted the absence of President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL). The candidates questioned the posture of these leaders regarding their current positions in the opinion polls.
Caiado, Santos, and Cury focused their arguments on the idea that non-participation in the debate reflects a lack of willingness to engage with opponents. By highlighting the empty seats, the candidates sought to frame the absence as a weakness or a dismissal of the democratic process of public debate.
This tension follows other recent political movements in the region. Reports indicate a related political event took place on Aug. 16 [1] in São Bernardo do Campo [2], a city in the state of São Paulo.
The candidates said the public deserves direct answers to pressing questions. They suggested that those leading the polls should not avoid the scrutiny of a live forum where their records and proposals can be compared side-by-side with other contenders.
While the debate proceeded without the presence of the PT or PL leaders, the remaining candidates used the platform to amplify their own visibility. They aimed to position themselves as the active alternatives to the current political establishment by filling the void left by the absent frontrunners.
“The candidates questioned the posture of these leaders regarding their current positions in the opinion polls.”
The decision by high-polling candidates to skip the debate allows challengers to control the narrative of the evening. By framing the absence as avoidance, smaller candidates attempt to erode the perceived strength of the frontrunners and signal to voters that the established leadership is disconnected from the public discourse.
