Brazil's only presidential debate was scrapped after a judicial order barred broadcaster Globo from visually highlighting President Lula's refusal to participate. The judge's ruling prohibited the network from showing an empty podium for the incumbent and stopped opponents from posing questions to him, prompting rival Flavio Bolsonaro to withdraw and Globo to cancel the event. Concurrent with this dispute, the U.S. State Department announced the immediate closure of all embassies and consulates in Brazil due to unspecified security concerns before the first round of voting on Sunday.

The political volatility comes as Lula's year-long polling lead has largely vanished, making a runoff on Oct. 25 more likely. Campaign tensions have been exacerbated by a corruption scandal involving Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who allegedly received tens of millions of dollars through his family from a collapsed bank that operated as a Ponzi scheme.