Why Amazon fires jeopardize Mercosur's agreement with the European Union

"Taking into account the attitude of Brazil in recent weeks, the President of the Republic noted that President Jair Bolsonaro had lied to him at the Osaka summit," said the French presidency, saying that "Bolsonaro decided not to respect its climate commitments" or about "biodiversity". "In these conditions, France opposes the agreement with Mercosur in the current state, "he added.

Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron had already expressed his concern with a tweet: "Our house is burning.Literally.The Amazon, the lung of our planet that produces 20% of our oxygen, is on fire. It's an international crisis. G7 members, see you in two days to talk about this emergency. "

In two successive tweets, Jair Bolsonaro then accused Macron of "exploiting an internal problem of Brazil and other Amazonian countries" with "a sensational tone that does not help to solve the problem". "The Brazilian government stay open to dialogue, on the basis of objective facts and mutual respect, "writes the president. The proposal of the French president to talk about the affairs of the Amazon in the G7 without the participation of the region evokes a colonialist mentality that no longer exists in the 21st century "he added.

Bolsonaro accuses NGOs of being behind these forest fires, which provoked the indignation of environmentalists. However, after stating that the government could not do much to contain the flames, Bolsonaro convened an urgent meeting try to coordinate actions on the ground.

For Raul Valle, director of the social and environmental justice of WWF in Brazil, the government is responsible for the situation: "The federal government, the authorities and the president himself declared that they would legalize many illegal activities Today, for example, a major source of deforestation in Brazil is illegal mining, especially on native lands. "

So, so that it is no longer necessary to fight against illegal activities, Bolsonaro proposes to legalize them, points out Valle: "If there is a problem with the law, let's change it .What we will not change, it is the economic activity.It is a message to those who have always wanted the opportunity to advance on indigenous lands, protected areas, forests … By omission or action, the Brazilian federal government is to blame for what is happening now. "

According to the expert, these fires are linked to deforestation and the ten municipalities where more forests have been deforested for agriculture and livestock are the same as those where fires are more important. The problem is that in these areas, the forest will not come back: "He left for many years or forever."

Marina Silva, former Brazilian minister of ecology, told RFI that the situation was "uncontrollable": "38,000 fires were recorded throughout the Amazon, and more than 60% between them to Brazil alone.We are forming a movement with former ministers and civil society organizations We will talk with the National Congress to suspend any bills that are contrary to the environment. A parliamentary commission must also be created. "

Three thousand kilometers from the Amazon, in São Paulo, the effects of these forest fires are still felt, reports the correspondent Martín Bernard. On Monday, August 18, around 3 pm, the sky darkened as if night had fallen. These were big black clouds that plunged the city in the dark. Clouds laden with particles from Amazon's fires.