Brazil's Bolsonaro says govt reduced environmental fines for 'peace and tranquility'
May 1, 2021
7:38 PM CDT
Reuters
2 minute read
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday that his government had opted to reduce the number of environmental fines handed out to ranchers in order to bring "peace and tranquility" to the countryside.
Environmental specialists have attributed a reduction in environmental fines in Brazil in recent years to the diminished capacity of federal environmental regulator Ibama.
Starting in 2019, Brazil has begun to break illegal deforestation records. From August 2019 to July 2020, the most recent official data available, the Amazon lost 11,088 square kilometers (4,280 square miles) of forest cover, the fastest rate in 12 years.
Bolsonaro's speech on Saturday reflected his still-cozy relationship with ranchers, a key part of his political base, even as the former army captain has given tentative signs in recent weeks that he will increase efforts to protect the Amazon from deforestation.
More:
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-bolsonaro-says-govt-reduced-environmental-fines-peace-tranquility-2021-05-01/
