NATIONAL NEWS

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Causes Global Outrage Over Amazon Fires

Aug 26, 2019, 10:55 AM | Updated: Jun 8, 2022, 5:03 pm

In this aerial image, a fire burns in a section of the Amazon rain forest on August 25, 2019 in the...

In this aerial image, a fire burns in a section of the Amazon rain forest on August 25, 2019 in the Candeias do Jamari region near Porto Velho, Brazil. According to INPE, Brazil's National Institute of Space Research, the number of fires detected by satellite in the Amazon region this month is the highest since 2010. (Photo by Victor Moriyama/Getty Images)

(Photo by Victor Moriyama/Getty Images)

PORTO VELHO, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has insulted adversaries and allies, disparaged women, blacks and homosexuals, and even praised his country’s 1964-1985 dictatorship. Yet nothing has rallied more anger at home and criticism from abroad than his response to fires raging in parts of the Amazon region.

The far-right populist leader initially dismissed the hundreds of blazes and then questioned whether activist groups might have started the fires in an effort to damage the credibility of his government, which has called for looser environmental regulations in the world’s largest rainforest to spur development.

In response, European leaders threatened to block a major trade deal with Brazil that would benefit the very agricultural interests accused of driving deforestation.

And French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday continued his feud with Bolsonaro, who had endorsed a Facebook post insulting Macron’s wife. Macron accused him of skipping a scheduled meeting with the French foreign minister in favor of a barber appointment and reiterating that Bolsonaro had lied to him.

Macron said: “It’s sad. First for him and for the Brazilians.”

He said Brazilian women “are doubtless ashamed to read that about their president” and that he hoped the country would soon have a president who could behave according to the standards of the office.

Meanwhile, thousands of people have demonstrated in cities across Brazil and outside Brazilian embassies around the world. #PrayforAmazonia became a worldwide trending topic. Pope Francis added his voice to the chorus of concern, warning that the “lung of forest is vital for our planet.”

Bolsonaro finally took a less confrontational approach Friday and announced he would send 44,000 soldiers to help battle the blazes, which mostly seem to be charring land deforested, perhaps illegally, for farming and ranching rather than burning through stands of trees.

Some say it’s not enough and comes too late.

“No (Brazilian) democratic government has suffered such international criticism as Bolsonaro is going through,” said Mauricio Santoro, an international relations professor at Rio de Janeiro State University. “By breaching international environmental agreements, Brazil has been discredited, blurred and unable to exercise any type of leadership on the international stage.”

Brazilian military planes began dumping water on fires in the Amazon state of Rondonia over the weekend, and a few hundred of the promised troops deployed into the fire zone. But many Brazilians again took to the streets in Rio de Janeiro and other cities Sunday to demand the administration do more. Some held banners that read: “Bol$onaro is burning our future.”

Bolsonaro has previously described rainforest protections as an obstacle to Brazil’s economic development. Critics say the record number of fires this year has been stoked by his encouragement of farmers, loggers and ranchers to speed efforts to strip away forest. Although he has now vowed to protect the area, they say it is only out of fear of a diplomatic crisis and economic losses.

“The international pressure today has a bigger impact than the demonstrations by Brazilians on the streets,” Santoro said.

The leaders of the Group of Seven nations announced Monday they have agreed to an immediate $20 million fund to help Amazon countries fight wildfires and launch a long-term global initiative to protect the rainforest.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her country and others will talk with Brazil about reforestation in the Amazon once the fires have been extinguished.

“Of course (this is) Brazilian territory, but we have a question here of the rainforests that is really a global question,” she said Sunday. “The lung of our whole Earth is affected, and so we must find common solutions.”

Fires are common during Brazil’s dry season, but this year has set an alarming record. The country’s National Space Research Institute, which monitors deforestation, has recorded more than 77,000 wildfires in Brazil this year. That is an 85% rise over last year, and about half of the fires have been in the Amazon region.

“We’ve had eight months without any type of concrete action in defense of the Amazon,” said Rómulo Batista, a member of Greenpeace Brazil’s Amazonia Campaign. He said the flames licking over swaths of the Amazon are a reflection of Bolsonaro’s environmental policy.

“The government created a sense of impunity among farmers who were willing to commit illegal acts to deforest,” he said.

“Thousands of species of plants and animals are being killed, many of them that we don’t even know. The population of nearby cities is suffering terrible damage because they’re breathing that air and it’s causing them respiratory problems. And the rise in deforestation can completely alter the rain patterns by region and devastate agriculture, even in South America.”

Bolsonaro has argued with critics who note that the Amazon produces vast amounts of oxygen and is considered crucial for efforts to contain climate change. But Batista predicts the fires will prove a turning point and the pressure by G-7 leaders will shift Bolsonaro’s view on the environment.

Brazil’s federal police agency announced Sunday that it would investigate reports that farmers in the state of Para, one of those most affected by the blazes, had called for “a day of fire” to ignite fires Aug. 10. Local news media said a group organized the action over WhatsApp to show support for Bolsonaro’s efforts to loosen environmental regulations.

Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who oversees the police, said on Twitter that Bolsonaro “asked for a rigorous investigation” and said “the criminal fires will be severely punished.”

Merkel noted Bolsonaro is putting “significant forces” into the effort to save the rainforest.

But Bolsonaro has had a tense relationship with foreign governments — including Germany’s — and non-governmental groups that he accuses of meddling in his country’s management of the Amazon.

Macron’s office on Friday complained that the Brazilian leader “had lied to him” about environmental commitments.

Asked if he would speak with Macron, Bolsonaro said Saturday: “If he calls me, I will answer. I am being extremely well-mannered with him even though he called me ‘a liar.'”

___

Associated Press writer Luis Andres Henao reported this story in Porto Velho and AP writer Marcelo De Souza from Rio de Janeiro. AP journalists Frances D’Emilio in Rome, Sylvie Corbet and Lori Hinnant in Biarritz, France, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

KSL 5 TV Live

National News

FILE: Actor Louis Gossett Jr. attends the 47th NAACP Image Awards presented by TV One at Pasadena C...

Beth Harris

Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87

Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 87.

42 minutes ago

President Joe Biden speaks in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2...

Farnoush Amiri, Associated Press

House Republicans invite President Biden to testify at public hearing as impeachment inquiry stalls

House Republicans have invited President Joe Biden to testify before Congress on their stalled monthslong impeachment inquiry.

11 hours ago

FILE - Eggs are displayed on store shelves at a local grocery store in Chandler, Ariz., Jan. 21, 20...

Dee-Ann Burrin, AP Business Writer

What’s keeping egg prices high for Easter? It’s not just inflation

Egg prices are at near-historic highs in many parts of the world as Easter and Passover approach.

13 hours ago

Kia has recalled 427,407 of its Telluride SUVs because they can roll away while in park....

Samantha Delouya, CNN

Kia recalls more than 400,000 Telluride SUVs that can move while in park

All Telluride vehicles made between 2020 and 2023 and certain 2024 models are affected by the recall.

13 hours ago

Consumers hunting for Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies this year can expect sticker shock...

John Towfighi, CNN

As cocoa prices soar this Easter, chocolatiers consider alternatives

Consumers hunting for Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies this year can expect sticker shock.

16 hours ago

Post reading "Wall Street"...

Stan Choe, AP Business Writer

Stock market today: Wall Street rises to more records to close out its latest winning month

The stock market has been on a nearly unstoppable run since late October, and the S&P 500 just capped its fifth straight winning month.

17 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Causes Global Outrage Over Amazon Fires