Brazil

[phkrause]

Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls to lowest on record as pivotal vote looms

Forest clearance at smallest total since records began in 1988 in success for Lula ahead of presidential run-off

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/16/brazil-amazon-deforestation-lowest-on-record-election?

[phkrause]

What to know as Brazilians choose between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro on Sunday

Brazil is on the cusp of granting leftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a fourth presidential term or pivoting to the far right again by electing Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump. Read More.   Lula is declared winner of Brazil’s election as Bolsonaro rejects results RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, was reelected Sunday in a result that provides relief to critics of widening U.S. influence in Latin America. https://apnews.com/article/brazil-election-lula-bolsonaro-runoff-vote-president-e2c9fe8fc4aa3e3675b9a8ec15405d93? Lula Wins in Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential runoff yesterday, edging out conservative populist Flávio Bolsonaro. Known by shorthand as “Lula,” the leftist incumbent overcame a two-point deficit to Bolsonaro after the first round of voting earlier this month.  The victory secures the 80-year-old Lula’s fourth presidential term. First elected in 2002, he left office at the end of 2010 due to constitutional limits on consecutive terms. He was jailed in 2018 on corruption charges linked to “Operation Car Wash”—a multibillion-dollar probe that began with a single small business. His convictions were nullified in 2021, allowing him to run against (and beat) Bolsonaro’s father, Jair, in 2022. Lula will have to contend with surging federal debt (about $1.8T) and frustration over public services and rising cost of living.    The race kicks off a string of major elections, including Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to maintain control in Israel (tomorrow, see polls) and US midterms next Tuesday.