Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s stunning upset win over right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro in the Oct. 25 presidential runoff election should enable ongoing implementation of his environmental-protection policies—most prominently those to slow Amazon deforestation. But the left-leaning Lula’s pursuit of green-friendly initiatives alongside his economic-development efforts could face strong opposition in Congress. There, right-wing opponents of environmental regulation boosted their numbers in Oct. 4 legislative elections, ensuring that when the next Congress is seated on Feb. 1 they will enjoy an even bigger majority than the considerable one they already hold. “Lula’s reelection means a continuation of successful anti-deforestation policies that have protected the Brazilian Amazon and the country’s five other biomes,” forecasts Mercedes Bustamante, a professor of ecology at the University of Brasília. She adds, however: “Lula faces an even more right-wing Brazilian Congress that has the power... [Log in to read more]