Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
president of Brazil from 2003 to 2011 and since 2023
Photo: Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
- 6h ago
Amazon deforestation in Brazil falls to 3,335 sq km, lowest since 1988 records
Brazil's satellite data show 3,335 square kilometres of Amazon forest cleared between August 2025 and July 2026, down 41.8% on the previous cycle. Lula welcomed the figures ahead of a close runoff on 25 October.
- 14h ago
Poll shows Lula level with Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of 25 October run-off
Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro are tied at 50% in a PoderData/AYA poll, while Datafolha shows a two-point gap and Brazil's electoral court ordered Meta to stop unjustified limits on political content.
- 2d ago
Lula's party accuses Meta of election interference before Brazil's runoff
Lula's campaign said the Workers' Party will file a complaint with the Organization of American States, alleging that Meta limits his Instagram reach and skews its AI image tool before the 25 October runoff.
- 3d ago
Global deforestation fell 15% in 2025 to 7 million hectares, but the Congo Basin is worsening
Global forest loss fell 15% in 2025 to 7 million hectares, according to the Forest Declaration Assessment published on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. The Congo Basin, however, lost 2.4 million hectares, nearly matching tropical Latin America for the first time.
- 3d ago
Brazil's Senate approves end of 6x1 work schedule, a boost for Lula before run-off
Senators voted 75 to one on Wednesday, 14 October, to cut the maximum working week from 44 to 40 hours without any pay cut. The amendment is expected to be promulgated in the week of 19 October, before the 25 October presidential run-off.
- 4d ago
Brazil's Supreme Court lets Flávio Bolsonaro resume visits to his father under house arrest
Justice Alexandre de Moraes ended a 90-day visit ban imposed after Flávio Bolsonaro read a letter from his father on social media. The visits may not be used for campaigning ahead of the 25 October runoff.
- 6d ago
Lula's campaign accuses Meta of election interference before Brazil runoff
Lula's campaign says Meta limited the reach of his Instagram posts and removed his accounts from search before the first round. Meta calls the allegations false, and Brazil's electoral court has asked the company for an explanation within 48 hours.
- Oct 9
Brazil's top court judge orders arrest of Eduardo Bolsonaro over coercion conviction
Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered enforcement of Eduardo Bolsonaro's sentence while he lives in Texas, and cancelled his Brazilian passports less than three weeks before the 25 October runoff.
- Oct 7
Augusto Cury, third in Brazil's first round, backs Flávio Bolsonaro for the October 25 runoff against Lula
Augusto Cury, who took 2.89% in the first round, will support Flávio Bolsonaro on eight conditions and without a government post. A Datafolha poll published the same day gives Bolsonaro 52% of valid votes to Lula's 48%.
- Oct 5
Erika Hilton secures record 1.59 million votes in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies election
PSOL deputy Erika Hilton won reelection to Brazil's Chamber of Deputies with 1,596,472 votes in São Paulo, becoming the most voted female parliamentary candidate in the country's history.
- Oct 4
Brazil votes in presidential election between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro
Around 160 million Brazilians head to the polls to decide between incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and conservative senator Flávio Bolsonaro as US officials monitor the vote.
- Oct 2
Flávio Bolsonaro leads Brazil presidential vote with 47% to force runoff with Lula
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro won 47% of the vote against incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's 45% in Brazil's presidential election, sending both candidates to an October 25 runoff alongside conservative gains in Congress.
- Oct 2
US and Australia close diplomatic facilities in Brazil as police investigate threats
The United States and Australia suspended consular operations in Brazil on October 2, 2026, two days before the presidential election, while Brazilian police served warrants over alleged bomb threats.
- Oct 2
Brazil orders probe into alleged US funding targeting Supreme Court ahead of election
The Brazilian government has asked federal police and prosecutors to investigate allegations that the Trump administration allocated $1 million to groups opposing the country's Supreme Court.
- Sep 30
Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro contest tight race as court bans viral claims
Brazilian voters head to the polls on 4 October in a presidential contest between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, following a court ruling against religious disinformation.
- Sep 26
Brazil's Lula bans online sports betting days before October 4 presidential election
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed decrees prohibiting online betting platforms in Brazil, citing household debt and public health nine days before facing Flávio Bolsonaro at the ballot box.
- Sep 26
Brazil issues emergency ban on online betting and casinos nine days before election
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva enacted a provisional measure halting digital gambling platforms and sports sponsorships, giving users until 5 October 2026 to withdraw funds before nationwide enforcement begins.
- Sep 23
Delcy Rodriguez pledges Venezuela elections at UN General Assembly after meeting Donald Trump
Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez promised upcoming elections during her UN address, following bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump and the signing of a 65-billion-barrel oil deal.
- Sep 22
António Guterres warns of global division and AI risks in final UN General Assembly address
Opening the 81st General Assembly session in New York, the UN Secretary-General urged multilateral controls on technology and warned that geopolitical fractures have widened into chasms.
- Sep 22
Lula and Trump clash over Latin American sovereignty and US power at UN
Speaking at the 81st UN General Assembly on 22 September 2026, Brazilian President Lula rejected US regional dominance ahead of Brazil's 4 October general election, while US President Trump threatened military action across Latin America.
