BRASILIA, Aug 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s President Jair
Bolsonaro signed a decree to ban burning throughout the country for
two months, government sources cited in local media said, as the authorities scramble to defuse the Amazon fires which have triggered a global outcry.
The blazes that have engulfed parts of the world’s largest rainforest —
which is crucial for maintaining a stable global climate — have also sparked
a diplomatic spat between Brazil and Europe that threatens to torpedo a major trade deal.
The decree prohibits any burning for the next 60 days, barring some exceptions in cases of approved agricultural and forestry practices, media reports said.
Bolsonaro said Brazil would accept bilateral aid to fight the fires, saying
yes to Chile’s offer of four aircraft. “We all love the Amazon, but the nine
Amazon countries… have sovereignty” over it, Chile’s President Sebastian
Pinera said.
Bolsonaro on Wednesday supported Peru and Colombia’s proposal for an
emergency Amazon summit in September so regional countries could coordinate a strategy to protect the vast rainforest.
The latest official figures show 1,044 new fires were started Monday and
Tuesday, taking the total this year to 83,329 — the highest since 2010 —
even as military aircraft and troops help battle the blazes.
More than half of the fires are in the massive Amazon basin.
But the defense ministry insists the fires are under control. It has
published satellite data it says show a reduction in the number of blazes in
the nine states spanning the Amazon. — NNN-AGENCIES
