Brazil’s Lula Celebrates Oil Find Near Amazon’s Mouth

By Vanessa Buschschlüter, Latin America online editor

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed the discovery by state‑run Petro‑bras of oil offshore the Amazon, calling it a “passport to the country’s future.”

This announcement follows the 2025 start of a big exploratory deep‑water drilling operation in the Brazilian Equatorial Margin, located roughly 175 km from the Amazon’s mouth.

Environmental groups warn that the region’s high biodiversity could be jeopardized by a spill, with currents potentially carrying oil into vital coastal wetlands.

Lula, who remains in office as he seeks re‑election in October, insists that oil revenues will ultimately fund Brazil’s shift away from fossil fuels and support its pioneering biofuel sector.

He dismissed international criticism as “meddling,” noting that sovereignty matters and that foreign “Europeans” would be irritated by the decision. Officials in Petrobras have stated that the find confirms their optimism that the area holds oil at a depth of 2,886 m.

The discovery has boosted hopes in the remote town of Oiapoque, with more people moving in for jobs. With only weeks left before the presidential election, Lula faces the challenge of convincing voters that economic growth and environmental stewardship can coexist.