Brazil election: Indigenous voters back Lula amid Amazon fires

Indigenous voters in Brazil's Amazon showed support for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday as forest-fire smoke affected communities near Manaus during the election.

Lula, a leftist running for a fourth term, faces right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. In Tres Unidos, a Kambeba village of about 120 people on the Rio Negro, residents travelled by boat to a nearby village to vote. Some passengers made an “L” sign in support of Lula.

Indigenous chief Waldemir da Silva told AFP he voted for Lula because he is the candidate “who defends nature.” He said fires were damaging air quality and that children and older residents were at risk, with several people suffering from coughing or vision problems.

Residents also expressed concern after Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, spent several days under heavy smoke last month. Tatiane Costa said her daughter, a student in the city, wanted to return to the village after inhaling smoke.

Official figures showed Amazonas state recorded 3,726 fires in September, more than four times the number in the same month last year. AFP footage from Friday showed scorched land in Iranduba municipality near Manaus, where firefighters were still working on hotspots on Sunday.

Lula created a ministry dedicated to Indigenous people in 2023 and reinstated the recognition of Indigenous reserves after returning to office. The recognition process had been halted under former president Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio Bolsonaro's father.

Authorities have warned that fires will worsen as the El Nino weather pattern advances. Brazil's government announced nearly $250 million in July to fight the effects of the weather pattern.