Page 6 - aruba-today-20240411

A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 11 april 2024
Brazil’s Yanomami leader asks the Pope to support President Lula

in reversing damage to the Amazon

By NICOLE WINFIELD Deforestation surged to a
Associated Press 15-year high on his watch.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Lula took office and swiftly
Francis met Wednesday declared a public health
with a leader of Brazil’s emergency in Yanomami
Yanomami people, who lands due to the effects of
asked for papal backing illegal mining and began
for President Luiz Inácio Lula working to expel the min-
da Silva ‘s efforts to reverse ers. He also empowered
decades of exploitation environmental agencies to
of the Amazon and better crack down on illegal log-
protect its Indigenous peo- ging. In January, govern-
ples. ment satellite data showed
Davi Kopenawa, a Yano- that deforestation had fall-
mami shaman, said he en by half in the first year
came to the Vatican at of Lula’s term. Government
Francis’ invitation to brief officials have said that ar-
him on the plight of the Ya- eas with illegal mining inside
nomami and the Amazon, Yanomami territory have
where deforestation surged dropped 85% and health
to a 15-year high during has improved. But after the
the previous administration initial success, prosecutors,
of far-right President Jair law enforcement and em-
Bolsonaro. The Yanomami Davi Kopenawa, a Yanomami shaman, listens to reporters’ questions during a press conference ployees of federal environ-
Indigenous Territory, Brazil’s after his meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Associated Press mental agencies say illegal
largest, was ravaged by miners are returning.
thousands of illegal gold said he asked for Francis to of our forest who looks af- against climate change. “One person alone can-
miners spurred on by Bolso- support Lula to try to fix the ter our planet Earth, I am Studies have shown that In- not solve everything. That
naro. They felled trees and previous government’s “er- waiting for the international digenous-controlled forests is why I asked for support,”
poisoned waterways with ror” and that Francis said community to fight, I am are the best-preserved in Kopenawa said. “I asked
mercury. he would speak with him. waiting for the international the Brazilian Amazon. the pope to support him, to
Kopenawa, who wore a “I’m not going to say they community that has mon- But Bolsonaro made good reinforce the work. To de-
traditional feathered head- will fix it, I’m not going to ey, to do it, to stop the de- on his pledge to not de- fend the people.”
dress and beads around say they will solve it. To ruin struction of our planet Earth marcate a single addition- History’s first Latin American
his neck, told reporters af- things it is easy, to fix things which is happening now.” al inch of Indigenous terri- pope has made caring for
terward he gave Francis a it is difficult. But they are The Amazon rainforest, cov- tory during his tenure, and the environment, especial-
letter laying out the con- trying,” Kopenawa said in ering an area twice the size defanged environmental ly the Amazon, a hallmark
cerns of the Yanomami. He Portuguese. “I am a man of India, is a crucial buffer enforcement agencies. of his papacy. q

Israel threatens to strike Iran directly if Iran launches attack from its

territory

By JACK JEFFERY try’s forces would strike Iran His comments came amid nificant escalation in their exchanges of fire between
Associated Press directly if the Islamic Re- heightened tensions be- long-running shadow war. Israeli forces and Hezbollah
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s public launched an attack tween the rival powers fol- The strike killed Gen. Mo- along the Israel-Lebanon
foreign minister threatened from its territory against Is- lowing the killings of Iranian hammad Reza Zahedi, a border. Gaza’s Hamas rul-
Wednesday that his coun- rael. generals in a blast at the senior figure in Iran’s Islamic ers, who triggered the war
Iranian consulate in Syria Revolutionary Guard who by attacking southern Israel
earlier this month. led the group’s elite Quds on Oct. 7, are also backed
“If Iran attacks from its terri- Force in Lebanon and Syr- by Iran. Tehran also backs
tory, Israel will respond and ia until 2016. The 11 others an umbrella group of Iraqi
attack in Iran,” Israel Katz who died included six Rev- militias targeting U.S. mili-
said in a post on X in both olutionary Guard members, tary bases and positions in
Farsi and Hebrew. four Syrians and a Hezbol- Syria and Iraq, known as
Earlier Wednesday, Iran’s lah militia member. The Islamic Resistance of
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Israel has attacked scores Iraq. Khamenei made the
Ali Khamenei reiterated a of Iranian-linked targets in remarks at a prayer cere-
promise to retaliate against Syria over the years with the mony celebrating the end
Israel over the attack on its apparent intent of disrupt- of the Muslim holy month of
consulate in Damascus. ing arms transfers and oth- Ramadan, saying the strike
Tehran holds Israel respon- er cooperation with Leba- on its consular was akin to
sible for the strike that lev- non’s Hezbollah, which is an attack on Iranian terri-
In this photo released by an official website of the office of eled the building, killing backed by Iran. The Israeli tory. “When they attacked
the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali 12 people. Israel has not army rarely comments on our consulate area, it was
Khamenei leads Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the Muslims acknowledged its involve- these attacks. Since the like they attacked our terri-
holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, ment, though it has been Israel-Hamas war in Gaza tory,” Khamenei said, in re-
April 10, 2024. bracing for an Iranian re- began six months ago, marks broadcast by Iranian
Associated Press sponse to the attack, a sig- there have been near-daily state TV. q