In December, less a month before he took office, Bolsonaro vowed to stop government agencies from handing out fines for environmental crimes. As part of plans to cut government spending, the president slashed the agency’s budget by 25 percent. He has said he wouldn’t approve new effort to conserve land for indigenous populations, and his relaxation of environmental regulation has ushered in a wave of deforestation. But those who draw attention to the new trend face possible punishment.
At the beginning of September, 93,000 fires were ablaze, a number higher than any year since 2010 and 60 percent above the figure at the same time last year.
Environmental organizations around the world have heaped attention on the fires, which have evoked celebrity concern and generated statements from global politicians. Prior to the G7 Summit in France last month, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote that “our house is burning,” in a tweet describing the fires as “an international crisis” and urging G7 members to foreground the blazes in their discussions. Bolsonaro responded by denouncing Macron’s “colonialist mentality.”
The global concern has generated unwanted attention on Bolsonaro and his environmental policies, and he has, at times, bristled at the critical focus. When Macron offered $22 million of international aid to help fight the fires, the Brazilian leader said he would not take the funds unless the French president took back comments questioning Bolsonaro’s commitment to protecting biodiversity.
In contrast to the worldwide concern about the fires, some farmers in Brazil have supported Bolsonaro’s approach. The New York Times reported that some consider the fires a normal part of daily life that enables them to continue cultivating food and livestock.
