Considered a feat, then abandoned, the BR-319 highway is now the subject of controversy. This highway crosses the northeast of Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, and connects the cities of Manaus and Porto Velho. The government has announced that it has granted a permit for a new phase of renovation of this expressway.
In the midst of the campaign for the next presidential elections in Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro has promised to continue with the renovation of BR-319. This road was built in the 1970s, but its maintenance has deteriorated considerably. Its central section is covered in mud and is almost impassable during the rainy season, from December to June.
Marcelo Sampaio, Minister of Infrastructure, announced Thursday on Twitter the issuance of a permit that will allow the government to hire companies to carry out future work plans on this 400 km stretch of road.
“By combining engineering and respect for the environment, we will get Amazonian society out of isolation,” added Marcelo Sampaio.
The risk of accelerating deforestation
According to experts quoted by the British newspaper The Guardian, paving this section of the highway would make it easier for illegal loggers to access the Amazon. A study estimates that the project would multiply deforestation by five by 2030. The effects are already visible in the main cities, where other phases of work have already begun.
According to Paula Guarido, public policy researcher at the Institute for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon (IDESAM) quoted by the French NGO Planète Amazone, the situation has already deteriorated.
“The results of January 2022 are alarming. The deforestation rate was 339% higher than in January 2021, in the most popular area of BR-319,” he said.
January, February and April 2022 broke deforestation records in the Amazon. President Jair Bolsonaro’s policy has accelerated this phenomenon, going against various environmental agencies in his country.
Source: BFM TV
