UPDATE 1 — Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon falls to all — time low

(Updates story with further data in paragraph 3, quote from climate advocacy group in paragraph 5 and political and electoral context in paragraphs 6-8) By Lisandra Paraguassu and Andre Romani BRASILIA, Oct 16 (Reuters) — Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest declined to the lowest level on record in the 12 months through July, according to data released by Brazilian space research agency Inpe on Friday. Some 3,335 square kilometers (1,287.65 square miles) of Amazon jungle were destroyed in the 12 months through July, an all-time low in the historical series that goes back to 1988. It was a fall of about 42% from the preceding period. The previous lowest level for Brazil's Amazon deforestation was reached in 2011-2012, when 4,571 square kilometers were destroyed. In the mid-90s, the figure had reached a record high of nearly 30,000 square kilometers destroyed a year. The data released on Friday, which is produced yearly by Inpe's PRODES satellite monitoring program, is measured from August to July as there is less cloud cover in the middle of the year to obscure deforestation on satellite images. "The figures released today are a historic achievement," said Marcio Astrini, ex