"Brazil’s former leader looks likely to try to unseat President Jair Bolsonaro in October elections – with potential big implications for environmental policy".

"RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's voters head to the polls in October, with a chance to to decide if they want to hand a second four-year term to far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

Under Bolsonaro, deforestation rates in the Amazon have surged as the president, who has close ties to the country's powerful agricultural industry, backs farm and ranching expansion in the region.

Critics accuse him as well of promoting illegal mining and logging in the Amazon, weakening environmental agencies and ignoring concerns by Brazil's indigenous communities over growing invasion of their lands.

Such concerns have tarnished Brazil's image internationally and raised growing concern at home as well, with protection of the Amazon - the world's largest rainforest - seen as crucial to stemming worsening climate change impacts.

Polls show Bolsonaro more than 10 points behind the main opposition candidate, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from Brazil's leftist Workers' Party (PT)."

Fabio Teixeira reports for Thomson Reuters Foundation March 4, 2022. [2]