BRAZIL’S President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has announced his cabinet choices, naming Amazon activist Marina Silva as the future minister for environment and climate change.

The move indicates that Mr Lula will keep his promise made at the United Nations climate conference in Egypt to prioritise cracking down on the illegal deforestation of the world’s largest rainforest.

Ms Silva was environment minister during most of Mr Lula’s previous administration, where she oversaw the creation of dozens of conservation areas and a sophisticated strategy against deforestation, including major operations against environmental criminals and new satellite surveillance.