Six weeks before taking office, the Brazilian elected president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva On Wednesday, he began a series of public appearances and meetings at the United Nations climate summit in Egypt, vowing to “stop” deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon.
When Lula arrived at a pavilion, Hundreds of people were waiting for him. many of whom cheered him and chanted slogans in Portuguese.
Lula’s appearance, which last year staged an extraordinary return to political prominence after a stint in prison for corruption, was probably one of the events that injected the most energy at the COP27 conference.
During Lula’s first presidency, from 2003 to 2010, deforestation of the Brazilian rainforest has been significantly reducedand promised to do it again.
After meeting various Brazilian governors, including those of jungle states like Amazonia and Para, Lula gave a short speech to the crowd.
“A great fight against deforestation”
“You know we will wage a great fight against deforestation,” he said to applause.
Lula has repeatedly criticized President Jair Bolsonaro, who has promoted economic development in the Amazon, both in his pro-business rhetoric and in his handling of forests. Lula defeated Bolsonaro in the October elections and will take office on January 1.
“Brazil cannot remain isolated as it has been for the past four years. (Brazilian officials) he has not traveled to other countries and no other country went to Brazil,” Lula said.
On Tuesday evening, Lula and US envoy John Kerry met to discuss measures against climate change and deforestation, according to a statement by a State Department spokesman to the Associated Press. Lula has scheduled meetings with ministers from various countries.
During the Bolsonaro government, elected in 2018, the environmental regulatory agencies of the Amazon they were weakened.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has appointed administrators since agro-industrial sector, which opposes the creation of indigenous territories and other protected areas and promotes the legalization of land theft.
The deforested area of the Brazilian Amazon reached its maximum extent in 15 years between August 2020 and July 2021, according to official data. Satellite tracking indicates that trend This year it’s even bigger.
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.