Even If Bolosnaro Loses, Key Amazon States Strongly Support Politics Of Destruction For Cash
After four years of a government that led the Amazon rainforest and other biomes to record levels of destruction, the world’s attention is on the Brazilian presidential elections in October this year. Since the 1988 Constitution federalized most environmental policies, experts hold the current president, Jair Bolsonaro, responsible for the exponential increase in deforestation in the world’s largest tropical forest. According to data released in August by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), 31,000 square kilometers (11,969 square miles) were destroyed from January 2019 to July 2022 — an area the size of Belgium.
But another crucial election for the future of the Amazon is underway. Along with choosing the president, Brazilians will also go to the voting booths on October 2 to choose state governors and members of Congress. In the presidential race, polls point to a change of scenario, with the left-wing and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of Bolsonaro on his reelection bid. Unlike Bolsonaro, Lula implemented policies that slowed the rate of tropical forest loss during his term (2003-2010). However, in the country’s northern region, which encompasses much of the Amazon, Bolsonaro’s ideas seem to persist, with voters siding with far-right governors who show little commitment to the environment.
Recent surveys by Datafolha and Ipec, two of Brazil’s most renowned polling institutes, show that candidates allied with Bolsonaro are ahead in the polls for governor in five of the nine Legal Amazon states: Acre, Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Roraima and Amazonas. Some of them have a chance at a first-round win. In Brazil, if a candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, he is elected in the first round. A second round is held a few weeks later if no candidate reaches a majority.
In three other states (Amapá, Maranhão, and Tocantins), there is a fierce dispute between supporters of the current government and candidates from other parties. The only state that stands out is Pará, where Helder Barbalho (MDB), a popular governor currently more aligned with Lula, is favored for reelection with 65% of the votes, according to polls. Zequinha Marinho (PL) — Bolsonaro’s candidate — comes second, with 13%.
EDIT
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/in-the-amazon-bolsonaros-far-right-may-retain-power-even-if-lula-wins/