Amazon deforestation in Brazil hits its lowest level on record, with the election days away

The story

Brazil has cleared less of the Amazon rainforest this year than at any point since records began in 1988, according to new government data released on Friday.

The figures are a clear win for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has made protecting the rainforest a central part of his time in office. They arrive at a sensitive moment, with Lula facing a presidential runoff on October 25.

The two candidates in that race hold very different views on what should happen to the forest. That gap matters well beyond Brazil, since the Amazon plays a major role in the global climate, and it also shapes how Brazil deals with the United States under President Donald Trump.

Lula is up against the right wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who won the first round and has kept a slight lead in recent polls. Analysts still describe the contest as close.

For now, the new numbers give Lula a strong record to point to in the final days of the campaign. Whether the decline in clearing continues, or turns around, may be decided at the ballot box later this month.