Bolsonaro to accept aid from France if Macron apologizes

After leaving the Alvorada presidential residence Tuesday (Aug 27), Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was questioned about the $20 million aid announced by the G7 last weekend for curbing the wildfires in the Amazon, and said he will only talk about the matter if French President Emmanuel Macron retracts “the insults” the Brazilian leader suffered.

“First, Mr. Macron must take back the insults he offered me. He called me a liar, then, as I was told, he claimed our sovereignty in the Amazon is open. So, in order to talk or accept anything from France, however good the intentions may be, he must withdraw these words and then we can talk,” he said.

Macron, G7’s current president, described the fires in the Amazon as a global emergency, and said he cannot ratify the free-trade deal between Mercosur and the European Union because of the “lies” President Bolsonaro told about his real commitment against climate change and environmental protection. The French president also talked about an international status for the Amazon.

Governors

At the Planalto presidential palace today, President Jair Bolsonaro is meeting with governors from the Amazon state to discuss efforts against the blazes in the region. Last Friday (23), the government authorized the a law and order operation (GLO), dubbed the Environmental GLO, and yesterday allotted $9.18 million from the Defense Ministry budget for the actions.

All nine states in the Legal Amazon—Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, and Tocantins—requested to join the GLO and the help from the Armed Forces to curb the fire.

The Office of the Prosecutor-General and the Federal Police are investigating into whether the fires, which increased this month, were caused by criminal activity.