How Lula lost his finger: 1964 accident resurfaces after Flávio Bolsonaro's debate jab

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva lost his little finger in a workplace accident in 1964, when he was a 17-year-old mechanic at a metal factory in São Paulo. The incident resurfaced during Friday's TV Globo debate after opponent Flávio Bolsonaro mocked him as having "nine fingers." Lula injured his finger after placing his hand inside a broken press machine to make it work again. In 2010, he recounted that the doctor who treated him at 3 a.m. decided to amputate the entire finger, saying, "What does this little worker need that finger for?" The debate exchange drew reactions from allies and supporters, with some criticizing Bolsonaro's remark as disrespectful and ableist. Lula responded by calling his opponent a "militia member" and highlighting his own working-class background.