After a conciliation speech at the Climate Summit, President Jair Bolsonaro (without a party) said in his live Thursday (22) that the criticisms leveled against Brazil are not justified and, with Minister Ricardo Salles (Environment) ), again requested foreign resources for the preservation of the environment.
Bolsonaro listed the most polluting countries, with China (26.7%) and the United States (12.6%) leading, while Brazil accounts for 3.4% of global emissions. “Of course we [tem que] reduce that, but that does not justify this absurd criticism against Brazil. It is obvious that basically I think that an economic stake is at stake ”, declared Bolsonaro, reinforcing the speech of his government according to which the demands for Brazil to be a less polluting country come from the economic interests of other countries. , who want to limit competition. , especially in the agro-industry.
Salles, for his part, said Brazil had no historic contribution to the climate issue as it was an agricultural country while rich countries were already burning fossil fuels to develop their industries.
He said that in order for the goals Bolsonaro announced earlier at the Climate Summit to be achieved, external help is needed. “So if we want to help solve a problem they created, they must also help us solve the problem of the 23 million Brazilians who have been left behind in the Amazon,” said the Minister of the Environment.
The Brazilian government expects to receive US $ 1 billion. “We are presenting a 12-month plan to tackle illegal deforestation, which will cost $ 1 billion. President [dos EUA, Joe] Biden, you’ll remember you promised, suggested $ 20 billion during the campaign. We present a billion dollar plan, way less than $ 20 [bilhões]”Salles said.
In an election debate last year, Biden spoke about creating a $ 20 billion fund to fight forest deforestation and cited the consequences for Brazil if the Brazilian government does not take action. against the destruction of the region. At the time, Bolsonaro reacted and said he did not accept bribes.
“The first step that all these people, companies, governments, etc. who say they are concerned by the Amazon can do is to move forward with resources so that we immediately begin to act both in the field of control [operações de fiscalização], quite effectively, and in terms of helping people, economically. If help comes, we will do a lot. If there is no help, we will do it with our budget, which the president has already strengthened and will double. “
The Bolsonaro government estimates, according to interlocutors, that the increase in resources for environmental inspection will be around 115 million reais. The resources should be used, among other things, to finance the use of the National Force in actions to fight deforestation – a proposal criticized by environmentalists.
Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (DEM-MG) said Bolsonaro’s speech at the climate summit was “very appropriate” but called for him to move from “talk to practice”. “I have considered a very appropriate discourse for the moment we live in, of your awareness in relation to preservation, and we will move from discourse to practice, and soon, with dialogue, with appropriate communication, we will have respectability of the international community in relation to this theme, ”he said.
Pacheco also said there was a need to make preservation compatible with economic development. He said the country had advanced legislation, but it was necessary not to exaggerate in its application, precisely so as not to hamper development, which “also cannot be insufficient”.
The senator from Minas Gerais also said that Brazil has great environmental assets and the country preserves, although there are cases of non-compliance with the law, which he says are duly sanctioned. In rhetoric reminiscent of Bolsonaro’s, he called on the international community to recognize these actions.
“We must be aware of the respect of environmental laws in Brazil and more than that: to reveal to the world that we have important environmental assets, that we preserve them, even if here and there there may be violations of the law, which are punished in Brazil, and demand that the international community recognize this based on a story that is true, ”he added.