Lula wins Brazil election as Amazon deforestation hits record low

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won reelection, a victory hailed as a win for democracy and the Amazon, with deforestation in the Brazilian rainforest hitting a record low under his leadership. Since returning to office in 2023, deforestation has dropped 42 percent in the last year alone, falling 71 percent below its 2022 level. This progress is credited to the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon, which strengthened satellite monitoring and enforcement. Despite Lula's narrow win with 51.8 percent of the vote, far-right rival Flávio Bolsonaro's party made significant gains in Congress, including many climate deniers. Environmentalists warn that public mobilization will be essential to prevent setbacks, with threats remaining from wildfires, logging, and drought.