Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 20 augusT 2019
Brazil’s environmental changes under Bolsonaro

By DIANE JEANTET he would remain as long as
Associated Press Brazil’s sovereignty in the
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Amazon was not threat-
Pressure is rising around the ened or challenged.
administration of President Environmental groups ar-
Jair Bolsonaro to com- gue that Bolsonaro’s pub-
ply with Brazil’s pledge to lic support of the Paris
fight global warming, as agreement is insufficient,
the international commu- as his plans to open the
nity gathers in the northern Amazon to greater devel-
state of Bahia for a week- opment would make it im-
long UN workshop on cli- possible for Brazil to meet
mate change. Bolsonaro, its reduced emissions tar-
a far-right climate skeptic, gets in the coming years.
has made clear he intends The South American nation
to make major changes holds about 60% of the Am-
to Brazil’s environmental azon rainforest, the preser-
policy, including opening vation of which is seen by
the globally vital Amazon scientists as crucial in the
rainforest to development campaign to slow climate
and agribusiness. Countries change.
such as Germany, France INDIGENOUS LANDS
and Norway are beginning During the presidential
to take action. campaign, then-candi-
Here’s a look at some of date Bolsonaro vowed
the key measures taken by Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro attends a decoration ceremony of the Maua Merit Medal, in that if elected, “not a
Bolsonaro’s administration Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019. Associated Press centimeter” more of land
since taking office on Jan. would be demarcated for
1 and reaction to them. marked for sustainability sonaro said Brazil did not between the European indigenous reserves. Within
INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE projects in the country’s need foreign help and ad- Union and Mercosur coun- hours of taking office, he
Brazil’s National Institute for forests. vised Norway to “take the tries to pressure Brazil into issued a series of decrees
Space Research, a federal Days later, Norway also money” and help Chan- complying with its environ- that critics said would ben-
agency, reported a dou- suspended its participation cellor Angela Merkel “re- mental pledges within the efit his allies in Brazil’s pow-
ble-digit increase in de- to the Amazon Fund, a do- forest Germany.” Paris Climate Agreement. erful pro-development “ru-
forestation in the Amazon nation-based project that State governors in the PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT ral caucus.”
region in the last quarter of fights deforestation in the Amazon, however, have During the campaign, Bol- Bolsonaro transferred re-
2018. Citing Brazil’s appar- vast rainforest, adding an- come out against Bolson- sonaro said he would fol- sponsibility for delineating
ent lack of commitment to other $33 million to the tab aro’s statements, stressing low the footsteps of U.S. indigenous territories from
fighting deforestation, Ger- of frozen funding. Norway the importance of foreign President Donald Trump the Justice Ministry to the
man Environment Minister has donated $1.2 billion aid in the region. and leave the Paris climate Agriculture Ministry, which
Svenja Schulze decided since the fund’s creation in Germany and France are accord. one lawmaker described
to freeze about 35 million 2008. also weighing using the Just before the election, as “letting the fox take
euros ($39.6 million) ear- Reacting to the news, Bol- ratification of a trade deal he backpedaled and said over the chicken coop.” q

Zapatista rebels extend control over areas in south Mexico

Associated Press rebel group announced omous” zones to 11 more But some of the new au- almost impossible to have
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- that it is extending its con- areas in the southern state tonomous zones are likely both settlement and con-
ico’s Zapatista indigenous trol over so-called “auton- of Chiapas. to be controversial. servation.
The Zapatistas do not hide Some are on land the Za- The Zapatistas generally
their dislike of President patistas seized after they forbid law enforcement
Andrés Manuel López staged a brief armed up- agencies and government
Obrador, but when he rising in 1994 to demand inspectors from entering
was asked about the an- greater rights for the indig- their communities, and
nouncement Monday, enous. practice traditional forms
López Obrador said the ex- But at least one of new of self-governance. They
pansion was “welcome.” rebel “autonomous” also have established their
“Go ahead, because that towns, Nuevo Jerusalen, is own educational systems.
means working to benefit located in the ecologically At least since 2006, the
the villages and the peo- sensitive Lacandón jungle, Zapatistas’ leadership has
ple,” López Obrador said. a nature reserve. publicly and frequently in-
“The only thing we don’t The Zapatistas have sug- sulted López Obrador.
want is violence.” gested in the past that The statement posted Sat-
A statement signed by Za- indigenous communities urday was no exception;
patista “subcommander” would establish their own the Zapatistas called him
Moises and posted over reserves, where nature and “the new overseer,” and
In this Jan. 1, 2019 file photo, members of the Zapatista National the weekend called it an farming could co-exist. But claimed a dozen indig-
Liberation Army, EZLN, attend an event marking the 25th “exponential growth that experts say that slash-and- enous activists had been
anniversary of the Zapatista uprising in La Realidad, Chiapas,
Mexico. allows us to break the burn agriculture, cattle killed since he took office
Associated Press blockade again.” and thin jungle soils make it on Dec. 1.q