Lula Wins Fourth Term as Brazil President

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term as Brazil’s president in the October 25 runoff, defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro with 51.79% of valid votes to 48.21%, according to the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral. The result gives Lula another term as environmental groups welcome his reelection, while warning that the composition of Congress could constrain efforts to protect forests and address climate change. Lula had trailed in the first round before winning the runoff by about 4.4 million votes, according to reports on the result. Flávio Bolsonaro said he would ask the electoral court to annul the election, citing an extension of voting hours at polling places. He had not conceded. The court’s decision and certification of the result remained pending; certification was reported as due December 18. The election followed a new estimate of forest clearing in the Legal Amazon. Brazil’s space research institute, INPE, estimated that 3,335 square kilometers were cleared between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026. That is 41.81% below the finalized total for the previous monitoring year. The estimate remains subject to a full review of satellite images and covers the Legal Amazon...