President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defended, on Tuesday (9), the actions of preservation of the Amazon by the Brazilian government.
He signed, in a ceremony in Manaus, the implementation of the “Union with Municipalities” program to reduce deforestation and forest fires.
For the program, R $ 150 million is expected, with funds from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the National Agency for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Anater).
Lula criticized foreign countries that interfered in the region.
“We are preserving what they have not preserved. Brazil is still the country that has the largest amount of forest in the world. So this country needs to be respected,” he said.
“We don’t need anyone getting the bedelho in our country. Each one takes care of their nose. From our backyard, we take care,” he said.
Earlier, White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump does not fear using “military means” against Brazil and other countries in defense of freedom of expression in the world.
“Cop of Truth”
The president said the COP30 Climate Conferenceto be held in Belém, in November, It will mean an event that will mark the “truth” to draw a difference between those who believe in science and who behaves as a negationist.
“This COP will be the COP of Truth. We will see who believes in science or who wants to keep lying,” said Lula, highlighting the evidence of climate change worldwide.
Partnership with City Halls
Lula defended the need for all government entities to come together to combat devastation and climate change. Particularly, as the plan foresees, the idea is that the partnership is established with the municipalities.
“The best way is to pass on resources to help mayors have access to basic conditions so that they can take care [do meio ambiente]”, Said the president. At least 70 municipalities in the region joined the plan.
“The mayor is not our enemy, but our main soldier in a city so we can avoid the weaning and mistakes that have happened,” said the president.
The president acknowledged the importance of enabling the resources of the Amazon Fund, managed by BNDES.
Lula was also positioned by the exploitation of the Amazon with responsibility. “We think it has to be explored correctly by taking what we can take, replacing what we have to replace.”
“It’s not lost cause”
At the signing ceremony of the Union with Municipalities program, the indigenous and philosopher Egydio Schwade pointed out that new paradigms will be needed in the relationship of man with nature, and also with traditional populations.
“I remember that, as a young man, I decided to work with indigenous peoples and everyone said it would be a lost cause. Today no one else has the courage [de dizer isso]. From these lost causes is that there will be really changes. ”
Investment
The president of BNDES, Aloísio Mercadante criticized the lack of investment of the previous government in the region. “They had no commitment to this agenda. We have already released more than $ 2.5 billion.”
These resources, according to Mercadante, include support for indigenous and quilombola communities, land demarcation, rural registration and family farming.
Zero deforestation
Minister Marina Silva (environment and climate change) argued that the government resumed investments from the Amazon Fund and with the commitment of zero deforestation by 2030.
“We are taking a focused action in the municipalities. Our commitment is zero deforestation by 2030. We have already achieved a reduction in deforestation of 46% in the first two years of the government,” said the minister.
“Delicate moment”
In a speech, the president also cited the trial in the Federal Supreme Court in which former President Jair Bolsonaro is a defendant for attempted coup.
Lula considered that the country lives a delicate moment.
“He knows he committed the stupidity he committed (…) These guys had the pachorra of sending people to the United States to speak ill of Brazil and to condemn Brazil,” criticized Lula.
For the public present at the Federal University of Amazonas campus auditorium (Ufam), Lula said Bolsonaro tried to take a coup and recalled the crisis faced by Manaus during the Covid-19 pandemic, lacking respirators. “He didn’t even bring oxygen to Manaus when this city was seeing a lot of people die.”
