Brazilian environmental activists expressed relief following the unexpected re-election of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to a fourth term as president. The Climate Observatory, a federation representing over 130 environmental organizations in Brazil, described the outcome as an avoided tragedy after Lula defeated his far-right rival, Flavio Bolsonaro, from the Liberal Party.
During the campaign, Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, had pledged to eliminate environmental restrictions. His platform included refusing to recognize any new indigenous territories and weakening environmental control agencies. Bolsonaro led the first round of voting on October 4 with 47% of the vote, a period that coincided with a surge in Amazon fires and renewed threats against the Apyterewa indigenous people in the state of Para, according to Folha de Sao Paulo.
In contrast, Lula entered this fourth term with a strong record on nature conservation. During his third mandate, the former union leader achieved a 71% reduction in annual deforestation in the Amazon. Satellite data from the National Institute for Space Research indicates that deforestation dropped from 11,594 square kilometers to 3,335 square kilometers annually between 2022 and 2026, marking the lowest level recorded since monitoring began in 1988.
However, Lula's ability to continue these efforts faces significant hurdles. For his new term, he must navigate a legislative landscape where far-right lawmakers, who are largely aligned with agribusiness interests, hold a strengthened presence in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Sources: Le Monde International.