Brazil's Congress Overrides Lula's Environmental Vetoes

Brazil's Congress overturned President Lula's vetoes on a bill that eases environmental licensing rules, just days after hosting the COP30 summit. While the government delayed some votes on the vetoes, the move faced criticism from environmental groups.

In a significant legislative move, Brazil's Congress on Thursday overturned President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's vetoes on a controversial bill aimed at easing environmental licensing rules. The decision represents a setback for Lula's administration, following the recent COP30 climate summit hosted by Brazil.

In August, the president had signed the bill into law but vetoed 63 of its provisions that were considered to weaken environmental safeguards. Despite opposition from environmental advocacy groups, the lawmakers rejected all the vetoes, although the government succeeded in delaying the voting on a few others.

The original bill has faced sharp criticism from environmental groups who argue it could lead to detrimental impacts on Brazil's ecological preservation efforts. The exact number of postponed veto votes remained unclear, adding further uncertainty to the future of environmental policies in the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)