Brazil’s election and the battle for the Amazon – podcast
By Presented by Helen Pidd with Tom Phillips; produced by Ivor Manley, Eli Block and Ross Burns; executive producer Sami Kent · Via The Guardian · Published by Everything Blog
The Brazilian presidential election is a pivotal moment for the Amazon, with voters divided between the far-right candidate’s promises and Indigenous communities’ efforts to protect the rainforest. The outcome could reshape the region’s future and Brazil’s climate policies.
Key points
The election is a critical moment for the Amazon and Brazil’s climate policies.: The election is a critical moment for the Amazon and Brazil’s climate policies.
The far-right candidate’s promises and Indigenous communities’ efforts are two main facto…: The far-right candidate’s promises and Indigenous communities’ efforts are two main factors in the election.
The outcome of the election could significantly impact the Amazon’s future and Brazil’s c…: The outcome of the election could significantly impact the Amazon’s future and Brazil’s climate policies.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
For the Amazon and the communities who live there, the stakes in Sunday’s Brazilian presidential election runoff could scarcely be higher.
Our Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips heads to Roraima, the country’s most northern state, to hear from voters, preachers and politicians in a region that heavily backed Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round.
He finds them all hopeful that the far-right candidate will bring back the mining that his father Jair so heartily encouraged when in power in an administration that oversaw the felling of 11m acres (4.5m hectares) of rainforest.
Tom also meets Indigenous activists determined to fight back even if the Bolsonaros take power again.
Helen Pidd asks what it will all mean, not only for Brazil but also for the climate crisis more broadly.
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