Brazil

Between August 2018 to July 2019, Amazon has lost much of its vegetation and President Jair Bolsonaro isn’t putting his priorities on fixing the issue or implementing any remedies for the restoration of the Amazon.  For years, Amazon has been considered to be the largest tropical rainforest in the world and its famous for its biodiversity. Almost 60% of the Amazon is located in Brazil, which becomes the responsibility of President Bolsonaro. In this article, many environmentalists have been concerned with Bolsonaro’s lack of response towards Amazon’s deforestation and his lack of effort against illegal mining, logging, and ranching. Previous governments had implemented efforts and strategy’s in order to preserve the rainforest but now Brazil is possibly making it worse.

(Jair Bolsonaro, right, with environment minister.)

Two trends have been happening that are concerning to researchers; the increase in deforestation and the increased reluctance to confront illegal activity that causes the deforestation of the Amazon. Once Bolsonaro took office, “his administration cut main environmental

agency’s budget by 24 percent”. His explanation was that “Brazil’s vast protected lands were an obstacle to economic growth and promised to open them up to commercial exploitation.” (Casado and Londoño 2019) While campaigning for president, it had become clear that Bolsonaro believed the Amazon was an obstacle for Brazil to make profits and flourish. One thing I found interesting in articles related to the Amazon, is that lack of incentive for amazon and its victims. The indigenous people of Brazil, forest residents, and environmental agents are being targeted by loggers who see them as obstacles to their efforts to dismantle the Amazon. (Phillips 2019) President Bolsonaro doesn’t seem concerned with his people and its responsibility to the rainforest.

This is similar to some of the themes presented in class. Although this is not like the revolutions of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua; there is a rebellion from the government against the Amazon, that could potentially affect global warming. Germany’s minister has described the consequences of deforestation saying, “protecting the Amazon is a global imperative, especially given the rain forest’s vital role in absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, essential to the effort to slow global warming.”(Casado and Londoño 2019) Through DeFronco’s theory, this kind of revolutions is by reform, there is a mass frustration concerning Bolsonaro’s lack of effort, there has been international intervention by neighboring countries as well as the US and Europe. It also relates to the abuse and neglect many indigenous people receive. There is a necessity to be more inclusive of how the government treats people. He is letting his people down and allies. Bolsonaro has to reevaluate his priorities concerning deforestation and its negative effect on global warming as well as looking into the victims affecting by illegal activity.

Links to Articles:

1. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/brazil-amazon-deforestation-soars-11-year-high-bolsonaro-191118140604466.html
2. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/28/world/americas/brazil-deforestation-amazon-bolsonaro.html?action=click&module=inline&pgtype=Article
   1. (Main Article)
3. Hehttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/16/amazon-deforestation-brazil-crime-report-human-rights-watch