Brazil, Amazon in flames: Bolsonaro under fire for accusations against NGOs

FOCUS Brazil, Amazon in flames: Bolsonaro under fire for accusations against NGOs Salvador (Brazil), 22 Aug. (LaPresse/AFP) – The shocking images of fires in the Amazon have sparked a storm in Brazil against Jair Bolsonaro, who runs mainly on social networks. At the origin of it all are the data published by INPE, the national institute for space research, which announced that the Brazilian Amazon has gone up in smoke at a faster rate since Bolsonaro took office in January: in 2019, INPE recorded more than 74 fires, the highest number since records began in 2013. But not only that: on Monday afternoon, the metropolis of São Paulo was covered by a black cloud due to the flames that were setting fire to lands in the states of Amazonas and Rondônia more than 2.700 kilometers away, while the INPE also reported more than 9.500 fires registered in the forests since last Thursday, mostly in the Amazon. To make matters worse, Bolsonaro's statements: in response to the publication of the data, on Wednesday the far-right Brazilian president insinuated that the fires may have been caused by NGOs, in response to the funding cuts decided by his government. So, just as Brazil hosts Climate Week in Salvador de Bahia, a regional meeting on climate change coordinated by the UN that is attended by 3 delegates from 26 countries, the hashtag #PrayforAmazonas became a global trending topic on Twitter on Wednesday. The outrage is mainly spreading on social media (where, however, many photos of fires that are not current or not related to the Amazon have also been shared), but not only: an avalanche of criticism of Bolsonaro has come from scientists, NGOs for the protection of the environment in the Amazon, as well as indigenous populations, who contest his support for the development of agricultural crops and mining in protected areas. Just a few days ago, Norway and Germany, the two main contributors to the Brazilian government's 'Amazon Fund' to finance the protection of the forest, had suspended their donations in open disagreement with the president's positions. Already in July, Bolsonaro had clashed with the director of the INPE, Ricardo Galvão, accusing him of lying about the extent of deforestation in the Amazon and of trying to undermine his government. And on August 2, Galvão had announced his dismissal following the dispute. Now Bolsonaro has lashed out at the INPE scientists, claiming that the data “is not connected to reality” and accusing them of damaging the country's image abroad. And he added the insinuations against the NGOs, without citing any evidence: “It could be, yes, it could be, but I am not saying so, criminal actions by these NGOs to draw attention” against me, against the Brazilian government. This is the war we face,” Bolsonaro said. “We withdrew the money from the NGOs. They received 40% of their subsidies from abroad. They don't have them anymore. We have ended public funding” for NGOs, he continued. Bolsonaro argues that fires in Brazil often occur in the dry season. But the fires are often started in an attempt to illegally clear forests for cattle ranches, and environmentalists accuse the president of encouraging the practice. Experts also believe deforestation is a cause of the fires: according to Paulo Moutinho, a researcher at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), deforestation is the "main cause" of the increase in fires in the Brazilian Amazon.