Brazilian general: Amazon targeted by int’l ambition

General Augusto Heleno, head of the president’s cabinet for Institutional Security, said Thursday (Aug 29) the Amazon is targeted by greed from other countries due to its natural resources and biodiversity. Heleno spoke during a congress on national defense at Rio de Janeiro’s Navy School.

“It is irresponsible to think that the Amazon is not being targeted by international greed. The world is facing a crisis, it’s widely talked about, a crisis of food, raw material, commodities. And the Amazon is seen as a repository for future achievements of humankind. So of course there are ambitions when it comes to the Amazon.”

Macron’s insults

In the general’s view, French President Emmanuel Macron offended the Brazilian government over political interests at the same time he is going through difficulties in his own country.

“He is ascribing all of the problems of humankind to the fires in the Amazon rainforest,” Heleno argued, adding that great attention should be given to protection, but concerns “have been expressed in an exaggerated manner.”

“We cannot accept that Brazil be denigrated worldwide because of a political move, over the interests of a politician, which are not the interests of the people in his country or the people of Europe,” he noted.

After leaving the event, the general told journalists that he cannot make an official assessment of the firefighting operation, but he heard that results are good.

“The operation is being a success, as it has met the main goal, which is to neutralize the blazes, which are not of the severity and magnitude being described recently.”