President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has exercised his veto power to block several critical provisions from a piece of legislation widely criticized as a “devastation bill” by environmentalists and Indigenous leaders. The bill, originally designed to ease restrictions on land use in the Amazon and other ecologically sensitive areas, sparked outrage for potentially accelerating deforestation and undermining protections for Indigenous territories. Lula’s intervention highlights his administration’s commitment to safeguarding Brazil’s natural heritage despite strong political pressure from agribusiness sectors.

Among the vetoed measures were:

  • Loosening environmental licensing requirements for large-scale projects.
  • Reducing penalties…