Brazil’s victory for the planet and democracy: seven lessons from Lula’s win

Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated far-right challenger Jair Bolsonaro in Sunday's presidential runoff, a victory celebrated by conservationists and social justice advocates worldwide. The win offers a playbook for environmental and democratic movements in upcoming elections in the US, Spain, and France. Lula's comeback followed a first-round loss, secured by mobilizing 10 million additional voters through grassroots campaigns, including a "Lula's Army" WhatsApp network. His campaign also challenged Meta's algorithms for alleged bias, reclaimed Brazil's national colors from the right, and boosted social spending, while Amazon deforestation fell 71.2% under his previous administration. Despite the win, far-right governors won in seven of nine Amazon states, and congress remains dominated by agribusiness interests. Lula faces pressure from Washington over critical minerals and threats from accelerating climate change pushing the Amazon toward a tipping point.