Brazil collects more than 100 tons of crude oil of unknown origin on its beaches | Society

The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, detailed on Monday several hypotheses on the origin of the spill: "It could be something criminal, or an accident, even a ship in perdition. We have on the radar a country that could be at the origin of oil, "he said without specifying further. Petrobras technicians name Venezuela as the most likely source, newspaper reports Folha of S. Paulo.

Another of the hypotheses considered by the researchers is that crude oil was illegally thrown overboard by a ship. The president pointed out that "this does not appear to come from a maritime platform" of crude oil from the many sources of the Atlantic in this region.

The oil company has officially announced that the results of molecular analyzes of organic matter located on the beaches are not compatible with the varieties of oil that Petrobras produces and sells.

The solids and huge oil plants that appeared on 130 beaches in a band from Maranhão State to Bahia State, which show television footage, took weeks to become national news. But this Saturday, the head of government asked for a quick investigation of the source. On Monday, he referred to these assumptions while his Environment Minister, Ricardo Salles, was flying over the affected area.

The authorities of Sergipe, the state most affected, declared an emergency situation. "More and more blackheads are heading towards the sand," warned a fisherman, Amador Marcos, Sunday, DW reported, the day after the viscous debris cleanup by Ibama 's environmental agency. "I am 52 years old, I live here many decades ago, but I have never seen anything like it. I've already seen oil bubbles from punctures. But nothing of that nature, "he said.

Half of the beaches where the chapapote appeared have been cleaned naturally, while Petrobras employees carry out waste collection tasks in a dozen beaches. In most of them, the spots cover a small part of the sand.