Amazon deforestation surged by about 60% during Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated him in 2022, returned to office in 2023 and reinstated an anti-deforestation plan that reduced deforestation by 45%.
That record now hangs over Brazil’s presidential election. The first round will take place on 4 October 2026, with voting open from 8am to 5pm Brasilia time, or 11:00 to 20:00 GMT. If no candidate wins outright, the leading two will face a run-off on 25 October.
Lula, 80, is standing for the Workers’ Party, known as the PT. He previously served two four-year presidential terms between 2003 and 2011, before beginning his current term in 2023.
His principal challenger in the polling scenario is Flávio Bolsonaro, a Senator and the eldest son of the former president. Polls place Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro in a virtual tie in a simulated run-off.
Jair Bolsonaro, the former right-wing president, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for his role in a coup plot after losing to Lula in 2022. His son has pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2029, although he has not set out how he would achieve that goal.
Experts warn that a Bolsonaro victory could reverse the deforestation-control policies Lula restored. Concerns remain that environmental protections could be weakened.
Brazil contains about 60% of the rainforest. The result could therefore reshape the Amazon’s future by determining whether Lula’s controls remain in force or face reversal.
Comments (0)