Norway joins Germany and also suspends aid from a millionaire to Brazil to end deforestation | Society

Norway announced Thursday that, just like Germany, it would also block its subsidies for combating deforestation in the Amazon, which represented a game of 30 million euros ($ 33 ​​million) for the Fund. Amazon. The decision came a day after President Jair Bolsonaro told reporters that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was to use the money blocked by the Germans in July to reforest her own country.

In an interview published in the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv, the Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment, Ola Elvestuen, said that Brazil had broken the agreement signed with Norway and Germany. The two countries are responsible for almost all the funds of the fund managed by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), and Norway is the one that has disbursed the most money since the creation of the pact with Brazil. in 2008

"Brazil has broken the agreement with Norway and Germany since the suspension of the Amazon Fund's board of directors and technical committee," said the Norwegian minister. "They could not have done it without the consent of Norway and Germany," he continued. "What Brazil has done shows that it no longer wants to stop deforestation."

Germany was the first to suspend contributions to the fund. In July, the Germans announced the freeze of 35 million euros (38 million dollars) for the protection of the environment in Brazil. "We have supported the Amazon region to significantly reduce deforestation.If this is not what the President wants, we will have to talk.I can not give money as long as they continue. to deforest, "said German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze at the time, Deutsche Welle.

Bolsonaro refused the decision of Germany and accuses the European country of wanting to "buy the Amazon in installments". "I even wanted to send a message to the dear Mrs. Angela Merkel, who had suspended 80 million dollars for the Amazon.Take this money and reforest Germany, agree? There are many more needs than here, "the Brazilian president told reporters. Wednesday The Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles, defends the restructuring of the Amazon Fund.

The decision of Norway represents a new discomfort for the Brazilian right-wing president with regard to his policy against deforestation. Data from the beginning of August indicate that, in the last twelve months (up to July 31), the Amazon has lost 5,879 square kilometers, or 40% more than the previous year. last year. The president denied the data and created a crisis in his government team, which resulted in the sacking of Ricardo Galvão, director of the National Institute of Space Research (INPE), the body responsible for the measures .