Weekly Report - 22 October 2026 (WR-26-42)

The national space research institute (Inpe) has released the annual deforestation figures for the 12 months through July, which showed record-low levels of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. This marks a boost for the green credentials of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with environmental groups such as the Observatório do Clima (OC), a national umbrella organisation of NGOs, highlighting his government’s efforts over the past four years to tackle deforestation. Although OC has not made a clear endorsement of Lula’s re-election ahead of the 25 October presidential run-off vote, the organisation has in recent weeks been releasing statements which criticise Lula’s right-wing rival in the election, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023).