SAO PAULO (HRNW) – Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday may determine the fate of the Amazon jungle, the world’s largest rainforest, after deforestation soared in the past four years under President Jair Bolsonaro.
He faces off against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has pledged to stop all Amazon destruction and act aggressively on climate change.
Protecting the Amazon is vital to stopping catastrophic climate change because of the vast amount of climate-warming greenhouse gas it absorbs.
Brazilians will choose between the top two presidential candidates from the Oct. 2 first-round vote: leftist Lula and right-wing Bolsonaro.
Lula bested Bolsonaro in the first round but fell short of the 50% needed to win outright. Bolsonaro performed far better than most surveys had indicated.
The latest opinion polls show Lula ahead, on 52.0% to Bolsonaro’s 46.2%.