Uh, Yeah, Uh-Huh . . . Bolsonaro Sending Paramilitaries To Amazon To "Protect Against Deforestation"
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil on Monday authorized its national public security force to support efforts to fight deforestation in the Amazon, amid worries that 2020 could see another surge in destruction of the world’s largest rainforest.
Justice Minister Sergio Moro approved the security force, composed of police with special military-style training, to support operations carried out by environmental agency Ibama in Para state through the end of the year, according to the official government gazette.
Para is Brazil’s second-largest rainforest state and sits along the so-called arc of deforestation that encircles the Amazon and is rapidly penetrating deeper into the forest. The announcement comes as scientists, environmental enforcement agents and official statistics point toward another potential spike in deforestation this year, after soaring to an 11-year high in 2019.
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Ibama environmental enforcement agents told Reuters last week that usually deforestation falls to a minimum during the current rainy season, from roughly October to April, but this year they are seeing illegal loggers and land speculators continuing to act unusually aggressive. Ibama is severely understaffed and underfunded, with agents saying this means they cannot contain deforestation in such a vast area as the Amazon.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment/brazil-authorizes-national-security-force-to-fight-deforestation-idUSKBN2041XI