Brazil's political upset threatens Amazonia

Abstract

On 1 February, the Centrão coalition of political parties in Brazil, supported by President Jair Bolsonaro, gained control of both houses of Brazil's National Congress (1). Bolsonaro has a record of destructive environmental policies (2), but some of the pending bills that he supports were blocked by the former president of the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Maia (3). Arthur Lira has now taken his position, and the legislature will now likely move to approve the bills that Maia had been blocking. This shift in power has ominous implications for Brazil's environment and Indigenous peoples.

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