Brazil greenlights oil drilling in sensitive Amazon region | International

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Oct 21, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Petrobras said Monday it had received a license to drill for oil near the mouth of the Amazon River, enraging environmentalists who said the move would undermine Brazil's hosting of UN climate talks next month. Plans to expand oil exploration in Brazil, already the world's eighth-largest producer, are backed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who insists oil revenues will help fund Brazil's climate transition. Critics accuse him of a contradictory stance as he urges world leaders to step up in the fight against climate change ahead of COP30 talks in the Amazon city of Belem from November 10-21. Petrobras was granted a license to drill in the Foz de...